Semey, the center of Kazakhstan’s Abai Region, will hold its first ever direct election for akim on October 12. After pilot efforts in directly electing village akims in 2021, and district akims in 2023, on October 12, Kazakhstan’s Abai Region will hold its first direct election for the leadership of the regional capital, Semey. In the context of Semey, the post up for direct election next month is effectively the city’s mayor. Further liberalization came in May 2021, when President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issued a decree allowing for the direct election of village akims. When another pilot project in direct elections came along in November 2023 – for three towns and 42 provincial districts – the trend remained the same.