Fatherland was the largest political party

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...

, led by Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov

Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov

Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov was Chairman of Otan, the largest political party in Kazakhstan. and acting chairman of Nur Otan party, created by merging a number of other parties into Otan....

 with over 700,000 members until December 22. At a subsequent party congress, delegates agreed to incorporate the Civic Party

Civic Party of Kazakhstan

The Civic Party of Kazakhstan is a defunct political party in Kazakhstan.QAP participated as part of the Agrarian and Industrial Union of Workers Block that won 7.1 % of the popular vote and 11 out of 77 seats in the 2004 legislative elections...

 and the Agrarian Party

Agrarian Party of Kazakhstan

The Agrarian Party of Kazakhstan is a political party in Kazakhstan.At the last legislative elections, 19 September and 3 October 2004, the party was part of the Agrarian and Industrial Union of Workers Block, that won 7.1 % of the popular vote and 11 out of 77 seats....

 and rename the party to Nur-Otan

Nur-Otan

Nur Otan is the largest political party in Kazakhstan with over 762,000 members. Since 2007 it is headed by President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev Nazarbayev's predecessor in the party was Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov.The party's predecessor, Otan was originally established on February 12, 1999...

.

Otan was originally established on February 12, 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. At the uniting congress, the new party outlined a program largely supportive of the government

Government

Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...

 led by President

President of Kazakhstan

President of Kazakhstan is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Kazakhstan. The authorities of this position are described in special section of Constitution of Kazakhstan....

 Nursultan Nazarbayev

Nursultan Nazarbayev

Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev has served as the President of Kazakhstan since the nation received its independence in 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union...

.

At its last legislative elections

Elections in Kazakhstan

Elections in Kazakhstan are held on a national level to elect a President and the Parliament, which is divided into two bodies, the Majilis and the Senate . Local elections for maslikhats are held every five years...

 under the Otan banner (19 September and 3 October 2004) the party won 60.6% of the popular vote and 42 out of 77 seats.

In the run-up to previous elections, 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 (including those networks such as Khabar

Khabar

The Khabar Agency is a major media outlet in Kazakhstan. It was established in 1995, known originally as the National Television News Agency. It is currently one of the largest networks in the country, and broadcasts daily in Russian and Kazakh. Additionally, Khabar runs the satellite channel...

, which were formally supportive of Asar

Asar (Kazakhstan)

Asar was a political party in Kazakhstan.At the last legislative elections, 19 September and 3 October 2004, the party won 11.4 % of the popular vote and 4 out of 77 seats. Following calls from its leader Dariga Nazarbayeva for a united ruling party, and allegations that her father was becoming...

).