Amanat, previously known as Nur Otan, was a political party of Kazakhstan and the largest political association in the country, with around 800,000 members as of 2023. The party held a majority of seats in the Mäjilis, the lower house of Parliament of Kazakhstan, maintaining its dominant influence in the nation's legislature.
Originally founded in 1999 as the Otan (), the party was formed through the merger of several pro-presidential groups, including the People's Union of Kazakhstan Unity, the Liberal Movement of Kazakhstan, and the For Kazakhstan — 2030 Movement. In 2006, the party was renamed Nur Otan, and in 2022, it adopted the name Amanat.
Under the leadership of Nursultan Nazarbayev from its founding following the 1999 presidential election until 2022, Amanat became the ruling party of Kazakhstan, consistently winning presidential and parliamentary elections with large supermajorities. The party was frequently accused of electoral fraud and systemically suppressing opposition, especially during elections where it held a monopoly in the Parliament. In 2007, Nur Otan secured all contested seats in the Mäjilis, cementing its status as the country's dominant political force. Allegations continued after 2012, when other parties gained limited representation.
After Nazarbayev's withdrawal from active politics in 2022, Mäjilis chairman Erlan Qoşanov assumed the position of party leadership, becoming the first non-executive official to chair Amanat, following a brief tenure by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Despite this leadership transition, Amanat remained a party of power, continuing to align towards Tokayev's administration. The party strongly supported Tokayev's constitutional reforms in the 2022 referendum that aimed at shifting to a more balanced president-parliamentary system, while also backing his successful independent campaign bid during the 2022 snap presidential election as part of the People's Coalition. From 2023, Amanat had maintained its majority control of the Mäjilis, playing a central role in the nation's political and economic developments. In June 2026, Amanat voted to dissolve its independent structure at an extraordinary congress, choosing to merge into the newly established Ädilet party ahead of the 2026 legislative election.
During its existence, Amanat had been described as a big tent party, generally leaning conservative, with a focus on stability, national unity, and economic development. It promoted reforms in areas such as civil service, economic diversification, and the rule of law. The party's governance style had been described as authoritarian, with critics noting restrictions on political freedoms and limited opposition.
Amanat had a widespread presence across Kazakhstan's administrative divisions and held numerous local offices, maintaining legislative control through deputy groups in local assemblies (mäslihats) throughout the country.
History
Foundation Amanat traces back to its origins in October 1998, when the Public Headquarters in Support of the Candidate for President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nazarbayev N.A. during the 1999 election was formed, then ran by former Prime Minister Sergey Tereshchenko. The party derived its name from the Arabic word watan (fatherland), which is spelled as otan in the Kazakh language. Shortly following President Nursultan Nazarbayev's re-election win, a decision was made at the headquarters' meeting on 19 January 1999 to convert the formerly campaign staff into the "Otan" Republican Political Party (; ), which was subsequently registered on 12 February 1999.
Its 1st Founding Congress was held on 1 March 1999 in Almaty, an event which was attended by about 400 delegates from all regions, cities and districts of the country. Amongst them were representatives of 17 nationalities, 104 entrepreneurs and businessmen, 67 public sector workers, 122 civil servants. The party outlined a program largely supportive of Nursultan Nazarbayev, who was elected by the delegates as the Otan chairman.Information on Political Parties Participating on the Basis of Party Slates in Elections to Majilis of Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan However, Nazarbayev declined to take over the chairmanship on a constitutional basis, resulting in Tereshchenko taking the role as the acting chairman while Nazarbayev himself would serve as the de facto party leader. Speaking at the congress, the Nazarbayev stated that:"The country can relatively painlessly survive the modern world challenges, only strengthening the internal economy, internal political stability, only demonstrating civil consolidation and solidarity. And in this regard, I have special hopes for the political party being created today, which we decided to call the word 'Otan' (Fatherland). The main thing is that the party is created from below, at the initiative of those thousands of volunteers who supported my candidacy for the Presidency in all the settlements of our country."– President Nursultan Nazarbayev, speaking at the 1st Founding Congress, 1 March 1999
At the congress, several pro-presidential parties: the People's Union of Kazakhstan Unity, Liberal Movement of Kazakhstan, Democratic Party, and For Kazakhstan-2030 were merged with Otan.
On 23 April 1999, the party was re-registered in the Ministry of Justice.
Nazarbayev leadership
1999–2006: Growth and consolidation The Otan for the first time participated in the 1999 legislative elections, with 54 candidates from single-member districts and 18 from the party-list for the Mäjilis. The party won a minority of 23 out of 77 seats with 30.9% of the vote with a majority of independents and political associates whom were affiliated with the party's parliamentary group. On 14 December 1999, the Bureau of the Mäjilis registered the Otan parliamentary group with 39 MP's, which included 13 Senators, 26 Mäjilis members. By the decree of the party's Bureau of the Political Council, Quanyşbek Böltaev was approved as the head of the faction, and Urazalinov Sh.A. as the deputy. In the run-up to previous elections, Otan usually received a majority of domestic media coverage. Before the 1999 legislative elections, for example, it was reported that Otan was the main focus in almost 60% of the coverage.Media Bias Mars Kazakhstan's Election Campaign EurasiaNet
On 20 April 2001, at the 3rd Ordinary Congress, Nazarbayev summarised the results of the party's work telling that "the party has gained good work experience and over the past years has shown that it lives up to its name and can work to strengthen statehood, to consolidate society, to protect the interests of citizens."
At the 4th Extraordinary Congress held on 9 November 2002, the amendments and additions were made to the Otan's party charter, program for the development of small and medium-sized businesses for 2003–2005 was approved. Nazarbayev proclaimed three main themes of the congress agenda of which were: problems of political modernization, improvement of the political system–issues of further development of the economy and, accordingly, the solution of social programs–issues of security of the individual, society, the state. Nazarbayev proposed that the Otan should be a centrist party with social democratic platform to which he praised it as a "creative potential, advocating a state with a socially oriented market economy, with high social stability and a developed social infrastructure." From there, the People's Cooperative Party of Kazakhstan and Republican Political Party of Labour merged with Otan. By that time, the Otan had already 7,000 primary party organizations in all 206 district and city offices and 16 branches. 1,660 party members became members of regional, city and district mäslihats (local assemblies).
In 2003, 2,240 members of the Otan were elected to mäslihats (local assemblies) of all levels. Having an overwhelming majority in the representative bodies of power at all levels, the party gained its opportunity to influence the socio-economic policy of the state by region.
At the Otan's congress held on 15 June 2004, Nursultan Nazarbayev proclaimed that the "unity is the main condition for prosperity of our people and state." and with the Otan claiming that the party representatives made up only six percent of the total 1,755 candidates that were nominated for the 2004 legislative elections. In the 2004 Kazakh legislative election, the party won 60.6% of the popular vote and 42 out of 77 seats with 35 being from single-member districts, becoming a majority in the Mäjilis. Zharmakhan Tuyakbay, Chairman of the Mazhilis and a party loyalist renounced his Otan membership and resigned from post as the Mazhilis Chairman after criticising the government of rigging the elections in favour of the party. Tuyakbay eventually joined the opposition and would lead For a Just Kazakhstan alliance by running against Nazarbayev in the 2005 presidential election.
On 9 September 2005, the 8th Otan Extraordinary Congress was held with the participation of the party leader and head of state Nursultan Nazarbayev. For the first time, the delegates nominated Nazarbayev as a candidate for presidency. The party intended to unite all the constructive civic forces within the country on the platform of support for Nazarbayev and provide him with new opportunities to complete political reforms. The Otan pledged to implement the initiatives set by Nazarbayev of which were reviving the rural villages, developing agricultural production, domestic industry, small and medium-sized businesses. The Otan merged with Dariga Nazarbayeva's Asar on 4 July 2006, increasing the party's seats by 4 to 46 out of 77.Kazakhstan: Ruling Party Gets Even Bigger RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty After the merged party was formed, Nazarbayev remarked to his daughter "Tell your Asar members that... you are returning to your father."Parties of Kazakh Leader, Daughter Merge Townhall Dariga, on 19 June 2006, said 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."Analysis: Kazakh premier takes over daughter's party Middle East Times
In November 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 the party'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.""Pro-Nazarbaev Party Merges With President's Power Base" At the subsequent party congress on 22 December 2006, delegates voted to rename Otan into the "Nur Otan" People's Democratic Party (; ).
2006–2013: Rebranding and further developments