and three members from the Asar were elected in single-member constituencies. On 4 July 2006, an extraordinary party convention was held where they decided to merge with the Otan Republican Political Party (Amanat since December 2006), and Nazarbayeva became the Deputy Chair of the Amanat. Parliamentarian career Member of the Mazhilis (2004–2007, 2012–2015, 2021–present) In February 2005, a new Deputy Group of Aimak formed in the Parliament, consisting of 36 deputies (28 deputies from the Mazhilis and 8 deputies from the Senate). Nazarbayeva was elected as the group leader. The main goals of the Aimak Deputy Group were to promote and monitor the implementation of existing state and industry programs aimed at regional development, take an active part in the development and legislative support of administrative reform and local self-government and develop entrepreneurship. She remained as a member of the Mazhilis until it's dissolution on 20 June 2007. In the 2012 Kazakh legislative election, Nazarbayeva ran again in the Amanat party list which won 83 seats. She headed the Mazhilis Committee on Socio-Cultural Development. On 3 April 2014, Nazarbayeva was unanimously chosen as a Deputy Chair of the Mazhilis and the parliamentary leader of Amanat. On 11 September 2015, she was appointed as a Deputy Prime Minister. Nazarbayeva reappeared on the Amanat party-list at a congress on 25 November 2020 where she made her first public appearance since being dismissed from the Senate Chair post, bringing her candidacy to the Mazhilis seat again. The Amanat maintained its control over the Mazhilis following the 2021 legislative elections, sweeping 76 seats. From there, she became a member of the Committee for Economic Reforms and Regional Development. Member of the Senate (2016–2020) On 13 September 2016, Nazarbayeva was appointed to the Senate; she was designated as the head of the Senate's International Affairs, Defense, and Security Committee on 16 September. Chairwoman of the Senate On the same day her father stepped down as the President of Kazakhstan, Nazarbayeva was appointed as the Senate Chair in a unanimous secret ballot on 20 March 2019. She succeeded Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in that role, who was became the acting president of the country. According to The New York Times, this may have been a signal that Nazarbayeva was being groomed to become president herself. Several speculations arose that Nazarbayeva was preparing her presidential bid for the 2019 presidential elections in which the allegations were revealed to be