President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed an order on appointment of elections of deputies to the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan on August 12, 2020.
The Senate is formed by deputies representing, in the manner established by constitutional law, two people from each oblast, the city of republican status and the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Half of the elected Senate deputies are re-elected every three years.
Another 15 senators are appointed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, proceeding from the need to ensure representation in the Senate of national-cultural and other significant interests of the society.
The term of parliamentary powers is 6 years. Moreover, regular elections are held no later than two months before the end of the term of office.
Senate deputies are elected on the basis of indirect suffrage by secret ballot. Electors - deputies of maslikhats participate in the elections.
Nomination of candidates for deputies of the Senate is carried out:
1) at sessions of the oblast (cities of republican status and the capital), city, district maslikhats, when political parties or other public associations, through their representatives in maslikhats, propose candidates for deputies. Moreover, one candidate may be nominated from several maslikhats;
2) by self-nomination, when signatures are collected in support of the candidate. A candidate for Senate deputy must be supported by at least 10% of the total number of electors representing all maslikhats of the oblast, maslikhat of a city of republican status or the capital, but not more than 25% of the votes of one maslikhat.
Elections of Senate deputies are held at a joint meeting of electors, which is considered legitimate if more than half of the number of elected deputies representing all maslikhats of the oblast, city of republican status or the capital are present at it.
Voting is deemed to have taken place if more than half of the electors present participated in it.
A candidate is considered elected if he has more than 50% of the votes of the electors who take part in the vote.
A person not younger than 30 years old can become a Senate deputy. He is required to have a higher education and work experience of at least five years.
A Senate deputy must reside permanently in the territory of the corresponding region, city of republican status or the capital of the republic for at least 3 years.
The election of the Senate deputies was last held on October 1, 2014.
