Legislative authority is shared between the executive (consisting of the President, Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers) and the bicameral parliament, consisting of the Senate (upper house) and the Mazhilis (lower house).
The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The president appoints the Prime Minister (who serves as head of government) and the Council of Ministers.
The Senate of Kazakhstan consists of members elected by local assemblies from various regions and major cities, while the President appoints additional members. The Mazhilis, the lower house, includes deputies elected from political parties, with some representatives chosen by the People’s Assembly. Mazhilis deputies serve for five-year terms.
The executive branch initiates most draft legislation. If both houses of parliament pass a bill that the president vetoes, a two-thirds majority in both houses are necessary to override the veto.