The debate airs Wednesday at 20:00 on 24KZ under the heading "From economic growth to the well-being of citizens". Four rounds structure it: leaders question each other, answer viewers’ questions collected by call centre and video message, and close with final statements.
At the lecterns: Aibek Dadebayev of Adilet, Dania Yespayeva of Ak Zhol, Nursultan Shokanov of the People’s Party, Kairat Aituganov of Auyl, Askhat Rakhimzhanov of the National Social Democratic Party, Aidarbek Khodzhanazarov of Respublica and Azamatkhan Amirtayev of Baytaq.
What Saturday settles is the shape of the majority inside a chamber that does not yet exist.
The mechanics now run on rails. Ballots reach polling stations between 20 and 22 August, campaigning stops for the day of silence on 22 August, and polls open Saturday from 07:00 to 20:00, with preliminary results promised within 12 hours of the close. In all, 545 candidates stand for 145 seats, the voter list holds more than 12.6 million names, and 656 international observers were accredited by mid-August.
The chamber being elected is new under the amended constitution, and its first session is due by 1 September. What Saturday settles is the shape of the majority inside a chamber that does not yet exist.