Abstract
The purpose of this study is to assess the importance of direct elections of rural mayors (akims) for local governance and community development in rural districts of Kazakhstan. The study focuses on residents' perceptions and a comparative analysis of settlements where elections have taken place and those where they have not. Ili district is taken as a case. The study is based on survey data and structured interviews. The results show that in localities where direct elections have already taken place, citizens perceive them positively and believe that they contribute to increasing their participation in local governance. The study concludes that Kazakhstan is in the process of gradually democratising its local government system, as evidenced by the introduction of direct elections of akims. This study adds to the existing literature by analysing public perceptions of the reform and its impact on rural districts.