The Chairman of the Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan was a presiding officer of the lower house Mäjilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, and was responsible for opening sessions, preside over regular and extraordinary joint meetings. The post was formed on 30 January 1996 at the first parliamentary session opening after the 1995 constitutional referendum which was held in August 1995 where majority of Kazakh voters approved of the new constitution which created a bicameral legislature that included the lower chamber Mäjilis. The post was abolished on 1 July 2026 following the adoption of a new Constitution that transitioned the country to a unicameral parliament, the Kurultai.
Contents
Election and term
The chairman of the Mäjilis was elected by a majority vote of the total number of members of the Mäjilis from among its deputies through a secret ballot. Candidates are nominated by members and are permitted to address the chamber and respond to questions prior to the vote. If no candidate receives a majority, a runoff is held between the two candidates who received the most votes.
The chairman could be recalled by a majority vote of the members or resign voluntarily.
The office did not have a constitutionally fixed term, but the chairman typically served for the duration of the Mäjilis convocation.
Powers and responsibilities
The chairman held both procedural and administrative authority over the Mäjilis. Responsibilities included:
convening and presiding over plenary sessions of the Mäjilis, including regular and extraordinary sessions;
convening and presiding over joint sessions of Parliament;
submitting the legislative agenda and order of work to the plenary session for approval;
managing the preparation of matters submitted for consideration by the chamber;
submitting candidates for deputy chairmen of the Mäjilis, judges of the Constitutional Court, members of the Central Electoral Commission, and the Supreme Audit Chamber;
ensuring compliance with parliamentary rules and overseeing the work of the Bureau;
signing acts issued by the chamber and issuing orders on matters within the chairman's competence;
performing other duties assigned by the regulations of the Parliament or the Mäjilis.
In cases of temporary absence, duties could be performed by one of the deputy chairmen of the Mäjilis.