The election will face international scrutiny. Belgian Federal Parliament member Katrijn Van Riet will travel to Kazakhstan as part of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s observation mission for the August 23 election, DKNews.kz reports.
The upcoming visit was discussed by Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium Roman Vassilenko and Van Riet, a member of the Belgian House of Representatives and its Foreign Affairs Committee.
Focus turns to the first election for the new Quryltai
The meeting centered on Kazakhstan’s political reforms, implementation of the new Constitution, and the upcoming election to the new unicameral Parliament — the Quryltai.
The vote is scheduled for August 23, 2026. It follows the constitutional reform approved in the nationwide referendum held on March 15.
Vassilenko briefed his counterpart on the key outcomes of the reform and stressed the significance of the upcoming election as an important stage in Kazakhstan’s political modernization.
For international observers, this campaign carries particular significance: Kazakhstan is forming its Parliament under a new constitutional model.
Van Riet to join OSCE PA observation mission
The two sides separately discussed Katrijn Van Riet’s upcoming visit to Kazakhstan.
The Belgian MP will take part in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s election observation mission. This will allow her to directly follow the electoral process as Kazakhstan elects the new Quryltai.
Van Riet positively assessed the reforms being carried out in Kazakhstan. She also emphasized the importance of strengthening democratic institutions, the rule of law and transparency of the electoral process.
Astana and Brussels seek stronger parliamentary ties
The election was not the only topic on the agenda.
Vassilenko and Van Riet discussed prospects for strengthening interparliamentary cooperation between Kazakhstan and Belgium, as well as further development of relations between Kazakhstan and the European Union.
The European parliamentarian’s visit comes at a politically significant moment for Kazakhstan: on August 23, voters will determine the composition of the country’s new unicameral legislature following the constitutional reform.
The observation mission will therefore give foreign parliamentarians an opportunity to assess how the changes approved in the March referendum are being implemented in practice.
We previously wrote about why the August 23 election will be significant for Kazakhstan and how the new Quryltai will be formed.
