A founding member of the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan's Senate, Omirbek Baigeldi, passed away this week at the age of 85, according to the Kazinform News Agency.

No further details were provided about the cause of death for Baigeldi, who died in the capital city of Astana and had the honor of serving as the first Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament in the former Soviet socialist republic.

A "prominent statesman and politician"

A Kazakh Senate news release announced Wednesday the death of "prominent statesman and politician" Baigeldi in Astana, who served as the first chairman of that legislative body from 1996 to 1999.

Born in a small village in 1939, the future Senate leader first worked on a collective farm in the KSSR but transitioned to become an influential politician after the nation gained its independence in the 1990s.

In addition to his parliamentary service, Baigeldi also served as "Chairman of the Dzhambul regional Executive Committee, head of the Zhambyl regional administration, [and] Adviser to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan," per the Senate release.

He served a total of 16 years over four terms in the Senate, which offered its condolences to his family and friends and said it would provide more information about a "farewell ceremony" at a later date.

The Kazakh Parliament

Kazakhstan declared its independence from the now-defunct USSR in 1991 and established itself as a constitutional republic with a president holding executive powers and a parliament managing legislative affairs.

The parliament is divided into two chambers -- the upper Senate and lower Mazhilis -- with members, known as deputies, who serve six-year and five-year terms, respectively.

The legislative body operates in three-year terms known as convocations, with the first convocation beginning in January 1996 after the newly independent nation held its first elections free of Soviet influence in November 1995.

Honored by the Kazakh president

CentralAsia24 reported that Baigeldi was a "well-known statesman and public figure" in Kazakhstan's relatively young history as an independent nation, whose "contributions to Kazakhstan's political landscape and his longstanding service in the Senate have left a lasting impact on the country's history."

That is why, in October 2023, Baigeldi was honored by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who publicly pronounced him as one of a few individuals "whose names should hold honorable places in the chronicles of Kazakhstan."

Kazinform reported separately Wednesday that President Tokayev publicized a letter of condolences that he sent to Baigeldi's family that heralded the former Senate Speaker's "great contribution to the development of the Parliament of Kazakhstan."

"He was a man of outstanding personality, who stood at the origins of the country’s sovereignty, and a citizen, who devoted all his energies to the development of our Motherland," the letter reportedly continued.

The Kazakh president added that Baigeldi "left a large footprint on the sands of time" and "will be always remembered" by the nation he served.