“This Is Not A Takeover”: Amanat Set To Merge With Adilet Party

Kazakhstan’s parliamentary majority party Amanat is preparing to merge with the new pro-presidential Adilet party. The move is expected to be officially proposed at Amanat’s party congress, Orda.kz reports, citing a source.

The 26th Amanat party congress will take place on June 12. According to the source, it is expected to confirm recent rumors about a merger with Adilet. There have been no official statements on the matter, but the issue is known to be on the agenda ahead of the congress.

Adilet has also not commented officially. However, the party has scheduled its second congress for June 14, two days after Amanat’s congress.

A source among experts close to the party told Orda.kz that amid rumors of a possible merger, Amanat is trying not only to formalize the union as political consolidation but also to reshape the political field and move away from previous negative associations around the party.

According to the source, Amanat also understands internally that the process could be perceived as the absorption of a new party by a larger and more influential political force.

It should not look like we are absorbing someone, because such talk has already started. This is a union for the sake of the future,the source said.

The source added that the final decision should be made collectively, since the congress is the party’s highest governing body. For that reason, according to the source, Amanat has not yet publicly announced the merger and is calling for people to wait for the congress.

This is the essence of Amanat — this decision will be made collectively. We have a congress, the highest decision-making body. We are waiting for it, so we will see,the source said.

Kazakhstan is preparing for elections to the new unicameral parliament, the Kurultai. After the adoption of the new Constitution, the current bicameral parliament will be dissolved, and the new Kurultai will be elected on party lists.

Against this backdrop, the new pro-presidential Adilet party appeared in Kazakhstan. In April, an initiative group announced the party’s creation. On May 7, its founding congress was held in Astana, where the charter, program and political council were approved.

Adilet was later officially registered. The new party takes a pro-presidential position and supports constitutional reforms, which is why political analysts have begun comparing it with Amanat and discussing a possible reshaping of the party field before the Kurultai elections.

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