Iran Press/ Asia: He had been widely expected to extend his rule over the oil-rich nation by seven more years, with a strong mandate to continue his increasingly independent foreign policy, as the former Soviet republic navigates the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
The Sunday election comes after bloody unrest shook the country this year and Tokayev moved to stifle the influence of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Five candidates were on the ballot against Tokayev, but with a short campaign period that began in late October, they had little opportunity to mount significant challenges. Opinion polls have predicted none of the five other candidates would score in the double digits.
Tokayev, apparently confident of holding a strong advantage, stayed away from a nationally televised election debate.
The former diplomat, who came to power in 2019 as Nazarbayev’s hand-picked successor when the country’s only ruler since the Soviet era stepped down, broke with his ex-patron after a January uprising that Tokayev called a coup attempt.
Tokayev said on Sunday that he would continue “resetting” the political system by calling an early parliamentary election next year. Tokayev quit the ruling Amanat party this year and oversaw reforms making it easier to establish new political parties.
Russia is Kazakhstan’s biggest trading partner, and Russia’s slide into recession has hurt Kazakh economic growth, while the strength of the rouble boosted by capital controls has helped push inflation in Kazakhstan to a 14-year high.
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