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30-615: The Aq Jol party was formed in early 2002, after its faction became being split from the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan . From there, it was positioned as an opposition party though in a moderate tone. The party has experienced fragmentation over the years, leading to the formation of dissident factions. Despite its opposition stance, the Aq Jol had been repeatedly described as a pro-government party in Kazakhstan, with it joining

60-590: A "broad coalition of socio-political forces". On 6 October 2022, the ruling Amanat party chairman Erlan Qoşanov announced the creation of a People's Coalition to support Tokayev in the 2022 presidential election . Political scientists expressed the opinion that the Amanat party would become the core of the coalition. On the same day, a forum of the People's Coalition was held in Astana , in which representatives of

90-695: A criminal case was opened against Zhakiyanov on charges of authorial abuse. A criminal case on the charges of financial fraud and political abuse was held against Ablyazov where on 27 March 2002, he was arrested. International observers from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the European Parliament and the US Department of State noted that the trial in the Ablyazov case took place with multiple procedural violations, insufficient evidence and inconsistent witness statements, which indicated

120-604: A former Information Minister, joining in 2003. At the party’s 3rd Ordinary Congress on 9 November 2003, the Aq Jol introduced a co-chair structure with leadership roles shared among Baimenov, Äbılov, Jandosov, and others. This collaborative approach shifted in March 2005 when the party unified its leadership, electing Baimenov as the sole chairman , signaling a more focused and consolidated organizational direction. However, shortly after, in spring 2005, Särsenbaiūly, Äbılov, and Jandosov left Aq Jol to form Nağyz Aq Jol (True Bright Path),

150-493: A more vocal opposition faction. In the December 2005 presidential election, Aq Jol chose not to align with the opposition coalition For a Just Kazakhstan , which had endorsed Zharmakhan Tuyakbay as its candidate. Instead, Aq Jol ran its own candidate, Alihan Baimenov , who ultimately received 1.61% of the vote. In February 2006, shortly after this election, Altynbek Särsenbaiūly, a prominent figure who had joined Nağyz Aq Jol,

180-541: A reform movement founded in late 2001 by prominent Kazakh officials who challenged President Nursultan Nazarbayev . While QDT took a confrontational stance toward the Nazarbayev administration, Aq Jol positioned itself as a moderate pro-reform, pro-business party, aiming to foster change through constructive dialogue rather than direct opposition. Key figures in the party’s founding included Oraz Jandosov , Bulat Äbılov , and Alihan Baimenov , with Altynbek Särsenbaiūly ,

210-412: Is a political party in Kazakhstan. It was founded by Mukhtar Ablyazov , a businessman and a former minister and Galymzhan Zhakiyanov , who was the akim of Pavlodar Region . The QDT embraced a number of influential politicians and wealthy businessmen of the country who grew disillusioned with the inner circles of President Nazarbayev . The movement adopted a strong anti-Nazarbayev stance and criticized

240-830: The 2019 presidential election . It was the first time ever a woman ran for President in the country. Espaeva received 5.05 percent (465,714) of votes. Her participation in the election received praise from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly election observation mission as a good start for a higher women's representation in politics. In the 2021 elections, Aq Jol further expanded its parliamentary presence to 12 seats and won numerous local positions across Kazakhstan. The party’s influence continued to grow with 222 maslikhat (local council) members elected across regional, city, and district councils, reinforcing Aq Jol’s role in both local and national governance. Additionally, Aq Jol succeeded in securing 11 akim (mayoral) positions at

270-559: The 2022 presidential election . Following the 2022 Kazakh unrest , President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev introduced a set of political reforms in his March 2022 State of the Nation Address, including proposed legislation aimed at restricting his executive powers. One such reform involved making the position of the president non-partisan by prohibiting presidents from holding political party membership while serving office. In line with this change, Tokayev, who had previously run for

300-533: The People's Coalition in support of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the 2022 election . The Aq Jol party advocates for political reform, economic liberalism, and secularism. It has participated in presidential and parliamentary elections, with varying levels of electoral success. The Aq Jol was established in January 2002 after a faction of moderates separated from the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (QDT),

330-540: The People's Coalition in Support of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Kazakh: Қасым-Жомарт Тоқаевты қолдау жөніндегі халықтық коалиция ; Russian: Народная коалиция в поддержку Касым-Жомарта Токаева ), was an electoral alliance in Kazakhstan formed on 6 October 2022 from various pro-government political parties and republican public associations in support of incumbent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev 's re-election bid for

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360-464: The 2016 Mäjılıs elections. In the 2004 Majilis (lower house) elections, Aq Jol gained 12.04% of the vote, securing a single seat. However, the 2007 elections were less successful, with the party receiving only 3.09% of the vote and failing to obtain parliamentary representation. In 2011, Aq Jol saw a leadership transition with the election of Azat Peruaşev as party chairman, which ushered in organizational reforms and an influx of business leaders into

390-597: The Amanat, the People's Party and the Aq Jol parties took part. All three parties put forward Tokayev's candidacy for the presidency. On 7 October, the coalition submitted documents to the Central Election Commission on the behalf for the registration of Tokayev as a presidential candidate. In particular, the package of documents required for registration was provided by the Amanat Party,

420-665: The Kazakh Law "On Elections" that required presidential candidates to be nominated by a republican public association to qualify for participation. Initially, Tokayev was nominated by the Amanat party on 7 September 2022. Minister of Justice, Qanat Musin , contended that Tokayev had the legal right to be a presidential nominee from any public association, irrespective of his party affiliation. Subsequently, Tokayev received multiple presidential nomination offers from various public associations by early October 2022, prompting him to express his preference for his candidacy to be nominated by

450-551: The Kazkommertz bank, and Bulat Abilov . The prime minister of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev , harshly criticized the movement and asked the founders to resign from their government posts. The crisis was contained as a result of the intervention of Nazarbayev . Tokayev was reassigned as the foreign minister, while Rakhat Aliyev was transferred to Vienna as ambassador. Zhakiyanov, Zhandosov, Ablyazov, and others were fired from their government positions. On 4 January 2002,

480-455: The QDT movement. The party claimed to have gained over 80,000 members from social media. It periodically holds protests throughout Kazakhstan to which the authorities had tried to repress. Some of the 2019 Kazakh protests are attributed to inspiration by QDT. During the 2019 Kazakh presidential election , around 5,000 demonstrators, journalists and activists were detained by the police. The event

510-406: The corruption and nepotism of the president and his clique. The party seeks to peacefully topple the current Kazakh regime and to transform Kazakhstan into a parliamentary republic . From 1998 to 1999, Mukhtar Ablyazov served as Minister of Energy, Industry and Trade. Numerous reforms under him were proposed which was a program to diversify the country's economy, transferring part of the power to

540-428: The deputy premier, Oraz Jandosov ; a fugitive banker, Ablyazov; and President Nazarbayev's son-in-law, Rakhat Aliyev , prompted Ablyazov to declare the establishment of a pro-business, pro-reform movement called Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan. Founders of the movement included deputy defense minister Zhannat Yertlesova , deputy finance minister Kairat Kelimbetov , leading businessmen, Nurzhan Subkhanberdin as head of

570-525: The local level, marking a significant step in the party’s regional influence. In October 2022, the QHP joined the People's Coalition , in support of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev , ceasing to be even nominally part of the opposition. Aq Jol received 12% of the votes at the 2004 legislative elections. Alihan Baimenov refused to accept the only seat the party received at the 77 member Mäjılıs until October 2006 when he reversed his position and joined parliament as

600-510: The movement had no plans in overthrowing the government. The Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan was founded as a result of a split within the ruling elite that erupted into a full-scale crisis in November 2001. What the roots of the crisis were is not clear, yet it appears that conflicts of interest between a group of reformist bureaucrats, including the akim of the Pavlodar region, Zhakiyanov;

630-510: The only deputy of an opposition party. The party advocated democratization of the political system, particularly elections of governors (akims) at all levels of the administrative system. Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan ( Kazakh : Қазақстанның демократиялық таңдауы , romanized :  Qazaqstannyñ demokratialyq tañdauy , QDT ; Russian : Демократический выбор Казахстана, ДВК , romanized :  Demokraticheskiy vybor Kazakhstana , DVK )

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660-510: The parliament. The QDT was disbanded in February 2005 before the presidential elections. But the party-led coalition of opposition forces, For a Just Kazakhstan , nominated former deputy chair of the Otan party , Zharmakhan Tuyakbay , as a presidential candidate in the elections held on 4 December 2005. Tuyakbay received 6% of the votes. On 20 April 2017, Ablyazov announced the recreation of

690-399: The party with a new name: Alga! Kazakhstan , under the leadership of Marat Zhylanbayev . Despite repeated attempts, authorities did not register QDT as a political movement. A party, Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, was founded out of the movement and participated in the 2004 parliamentary elections in a bloc with Serikbolsyn Abdildin ’s Communist Party . The bloc failed to win any seats in

720-406: The party. Under Peruashev's chairmanship, thr Aq Jol entered parliament in the 2012 elections, securing 7.47% of the vote and eight seats. Following the 2016 Majilis elections, Aq Jol maintained a stable presence with seven seats, solidifying its role as a pro-business parliamentary faction focused on moderate reform and national development. Aq Jol nominated Dania Espaeva as its candidate for

750-419: The political nature of a criminal prosecution. While serving in prison, Ablyazov was repeatedly beaten and subjected to psychological pressure. On 13 May 2003, President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree to pardon Ablyazov and to release him from further serving his sentence in prison. The president's decision was facilitated by wide publicity that Ablyazov's case received among the international community and

780-507: The presidency as the Amanat party candidate in the 2019 election , left the party in April 2022 by choosing to continue serving as an independent for the remainder of his term. In September 2022, Tokayev announced a snap election for the presidency in autumn 2022, raising questions about his legal eligibility to run as an independent candidate. This uncertainty arose from 2018 amendment to

810-476: The regions, and introducing market principles for tariff formation. However, over time, President Nazarbayev began to oppose Ablyazov's work. As a result, in 1999, Ablyazov resigned from his position claiming that the policies of the Nazarbayev's regime make the systemic reforms impossible. In early 2000, Ablyazov and Galymzhan Zhakiyanov decided to create a movement that would advocate for reforms and seek to take power by democratic and legal methods. Originally,

840-599: The resolution of the European Parliament in his support. Ablyazov, after his release, publicly stated that he ceased his cooperation with the movement and to be engaged in politics, but he secretly continued to support the movement. QDT became split in the spring of 2002, as a group of moderate members, including Oraz Zhandosov , Bulat Abilov , and Alikhan Baimenov , established the center-right Ak Zhol Party . Later, Ak Zhol also gave birth to another party, Naghyz Ak Zhol , led by Bulat Abilov , Altynbek Sarsenbaev , and Oraz Zhandosov . QDT leaders have been trying to reregister

870-757: Was the first time that Kazakhstan faced protests during the elections. The movement also supports anti-China protests which had broken out in August 2019. On 5 January 2022, leader Mukhtar Ablyazov urged citizens to protest against the Nazarbaev regime , resulting mass protests across the country [REDACTED] Media related to Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan at Wikimedia Commons People%27s Coalition (Kazakhstan) The People's Coalition ( Kazakh : Халықтық коалиция , romanized :  Halyqtyq koalitsia , HK ; Russian : Народная коалиция , romanized :  Narodnaya koalitsiya , NK), officially

900-472: Was tragically killed near Almaty . The subsequent 18 August 2007 Mäjılıs elections saw Aq Jol secure 3.27% of the popular vote, yet no seats, as the ruling Nur Otan party claimed all parliamentary positions. Aq Jol re-entered the legislative landscape in 2012, winning 8 seats in the Mäjılıs and solidifying its place as one of the three represented parties. This presence persisted with Aq Jol capturing 7 seats in

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