View source for Nur Otan

{{Infobox political party
| colorcode       = #1CA9C9
| logo            = [[File:Nur Otan logo.png|150px]]
| name            = "Nur Otan" Democratic People's Party
| native_name     = "Нұр Отан" Халықтық Демократиялық Партиясы
| leader1_title   = Party Leader
| leader1_name    = [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]]
| foundation      = {{Start date and age|2006|09|25}}
| merger          = [[Fatherland (Kazakhstan)|Fatherland]], [[Asar Party|Asar]], [[Civic Party of Kazakhstan|Civic Party]], [[Agrarian Party of Kazakhstan|Agrarian Party]]
| headquarters    = [[Astana]]
| youth_wing      = [[Zhas Otan]]
| membership_year = 2007
| membership      = 762,000                
| ideology        = [[Authoritarianism]]<ref>{{book cite|url=https://books.google.it/books?id=K3KrAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=nur+otan+ideology&source=bl&ots=rYoYH4PSrb&sig=T0CEM99WEyk1UtXPk5JpyQz4FfA&hl=it&sa=X&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBGoVChMIw-3J7_WIxwIVATsUCh2rxAS6#v=onepage&q=nur%20otan%20ideology&f=false|title=Party System Formation in Kazakhstan|author=Isaacs, Rico|publisher=Routledge|pages=224|date=2011}}</ref><br>[[Centrism]]<br>[[Secularism]]
|position         = [[Big tent]]
| international   = ''None''
| colours         = {{Color box|#1CA9C9|border=darkgray}} {{Color box|#FFD700|border=darkgray}} [[Cyan]], [[gold (color)|gold]]
| seats1_title    = Seats in [[Mazhilis]]
| seats1          = {{Composition bar|83|107|hex=#1CA9C9}}
| website         = {{URL|http://www.nurotan.kz/en}}
| country         = Kazakhstan
}}  

The '''"Nur Otan" Democratic People's Party''' ({{lang-kz|“Нұр Отан” Халықтық Демократиялық Партиясы}}, ''“Nur-Otan” Xalıqtıq Demokratïyalıq Partïyası''), called simply '''Nur Otan''' ({{lang-kz|Нұр Отан}}, "Radiant Fatherland"), is the ruling [[political party]] in [[Kazakhstan]] with over 762,000 members.<ref name=STATS>[http://www.rferl.com/featuresarticle/2006/12/FF86BCEC-4D63-4861-8C8E-D0C317AC4017.html Kazakhstan: Ruling Party Gets Even Bigger] RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty</ref> Since 2007 it is headed by [[President of Kazakhstan]], [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]]<ref>[http://enews.ferghana.ru/article.php?id=2025 President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev is the head of the Nur Otan party]</ref> Nazarbayev's predecessor in the party was [[Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov]]. The party's First Deputy Chairman is Askar Myrzakhmetov.

==History==
[[File:Nur Otan Astana.JPG|left|thumb|280px|Nur Otan Headquarters in [[Astana]]]]
The party's predecessor, [[Fatherland (Kazakhstan)|Fatherland]] was originally established on February 12, 1999 after the merger of several pro-presidential parties, including the [[People's Union of Kazakhstan Unity]], the [[Liberal Movement of Kazakhstan]], and the [["For Kazakhstan - 2030" Movement]]. At the "uniting" congress the new party outlined a program largely supportive of the government of Nazarbayev.<ref name=UNION>[http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/election/kazakhstan/bbk101219.html Information on Political Parties Participating on the Basis of Party Slates in Elections to Majilis of Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan]</ref>

At the last [[legislative]] [[elections in Kazakhstan|elections]] under the '''Otan''' banner in 2004, the party won 60.6% of the popular vote and 42 out of 77 seats. 
Otan merged with [[Dariga Nazarbayeva]]'s [[Asar (Kazakhstan)|Asar]] on 25 September 2006, increasing the party's seats by 4 to 46 out of 77.<ref name=STATS/>

After the merged party was formed, Nazarbayev remarked to his daughter "Tell your Asar members that... you are returning to your father."<ref name=RETURN>[http://townhall.com/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ContentGuid=995b83f0-7158-4f2c-adec-b4522f0a5114 Parties of Kazakh Leader, Daughter Merge] Townhall</ref> 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."<ref name=RETURNING>[http://www.metimes.com/print.php?StoryID=20060711-084500-5583r Analysis: Kazakh premier takes over daughter's party] Middle East Times</ref>
 
In December 2006 it was announced that the [[Civic Party of Kazakhstan|Civic Party]] and the [[Agrarian Party of Kazakhstan|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."<ref>[http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/11/9A77C7E5-6984-40EF-8DA1-686EC24E5BD8.html "Pro-Nazarbaev Party Merges With President's Power Base"]</ref> At the subsequent party congress on 22 December 2006, delegates voted to rename the party '''Nur Otan'''.

In the 18 August 2007 [[Majilis|Assembly]] [[Kazakhstani legislative election, 2007|elections]], the party won 88.05% of the vote and all seats.

In October 2011 a cooperation agreement was signed in [[Astana]] between Nur Otan and the [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] [[Party of Regions]],<ref>[http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/regions-party-to-cooperate-with-ruling-party-in-ka-117518.html Regions Party to cooperate with ruling party in Kazakhstan], [[Kyiv Post]] (24 November 2011)</ref> and another in 2015 with [[United Russia]].{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

==Election results==

===President===
{| class=wikitable
|-
! Election year
! Candidate
! # of overall votes
! % of overall vote
! Result
|-
! [[Kazakhstani presidential election, 2011|2011]]
| '''[[Nursultan Nazarbayev]]'''
| 7,850,958
| 95.55%
| '''Elected'''
|-
! [[Kazakhstani presidential election, 2015|2015]]
| '''[[Nursultan Nazarbayev]]'''
| 8,833,250
| 97.75%
| '''Elected'''
|}

===Mazhilis===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Election
! Seats won
! ±
! Total votes
! Share of votes
! Position
! Party leader
|-
![[Kazakhstani legislative election, 2007|2007]]
| {{Composition bar|98|98|hex=#00AFCA}}
| {{increase}}98
| 5,247,720
| 88.40%
| style="background-color:#CCFFCC" |Majority gov't
| [[Karim Massimov]]
|-
![[Kazakhstani legislative election, 2012|2012]]
| {{Composition bar|83|98|hex=#00AFCA}}
| {{decrease}}15
| 5,621,436
| 80.99%
| style="background-color:#CCFFCC" |Majority gov't
| [[Karim Massimov]]
|-
![[Kazakhstani legislative election, 2016|2016]]
| {{Composition bar|84|98|hex=#00AFCA}}
| {{increase}}1
| 6,183,757
| 82.20%
| style="background-color:#CCFFCC" |Majority gov't
| [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]]
|}

==See also==
*[[Zhas Otan]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.nurotan.kz Official Website] (Kazakh, Russian, English)

{{Kazakhstani political parties}}

[[Category:Political parties in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 2006]]
[[Category:2006 establishments in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Secularist political parties]]