Nur Otan


Nur Otan , is the ruling political party in Kazakhstan with over 762,000 members. The party was founded on 12 February 1999 after the merger of several previously independent pro-presidential parties, including the People's Union of Kazakhstan Unity, the Liberal Movement of Kazakhstan, and the "For Kazakhstan - 2030" Movement.

History

The party was originally established on 12 February 1999 after several parties, including the People's Union of Kazakhstan Unity, the Liberal Movement of Kazakhstan and the "For Kazakhstan - 2030" Movement were merged. In its 1st Congress, held on 1 March 1999 in Almaty, the party outlined a program largely supportive of the government of Nazarbayev.
In the run-up to previous elections, Nur Otan usually received a majority of domestic media coverage. Before the 1999 election, for example, it was reported that Otan was the main focus in almost 60% of the coverage. Additionally, most of the country's major media outlets had political leanings towards Otan.
In the 2004 Kazakh legislative election, the party won 60.6% of the popular vote and 42 out of 77 seats, becoming a majority in the Mazhilis.
Otan merged with Dariga Nazarbayeva's Asar on 25 September 2006, increasing the party's seats by 4 to 46 out of 77.
After the merged party was formed, Nazarbayev remarked to his daughter "Tell your Asar members that... you are returning to your father." Nazarbayeva said on 19 June 2006 that all pro-Presidential parties should combine to create a grouping "with which no other party will be able to compete in the next 50 years."
In December 2006, it was announced that the Civic Party and the Agrarian Party would follow in Asar's path and also merge with Otan to increase Otan's share of MP's from 46 to 57 seats out of 77. Nazarbayev said he expected other parties to merge with Otan. Nazarbayev said there should be fewer, stronger parties that "efficiently defend the interests of the population." At the subsequent party congress on 22 December 2006, delegates voted to rename the party Nur Otan.
In the 2007 Kazakh legislative election, the party won 88.05% of the vote and all seats.
In October 2011 a cooperation agreement was signed in Nur-Sultan between Nur Otan and the Ukrainian Party of Regions, and another in 2015 with United Russia.

Electoral history

Presidential elections

Mazhilis elections