Presidential in Kazakhstan: outgoing President Tokayev given wide winner

Президент Казахстана в Асым-Жомарт Токаев на избирательном участке в Астагане, 20 я 22 нояр.

© Press Service of the President of Kazakhstan/Handout via REUTERS

Text by: RFI Follow

4 mins

The outgoing president of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, was widely re-elected on Sunday November 20 at the head of the largest country in Central Asia after an early presidential election, according to a first exit poll.

This 69-year-old man won 82.45% of the vote, according to a poll carried out for state radio and television.

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The outgoing president of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, was largely re-elected on Sunday, according to provisional results, at the head of the largest country in Central Asia which has lived through a dark year between bloody riots and ruthless clan struggle.

According to an exit poll for state radio and television, Mr Tokayev won 82.45% of the vote in this former Soviet republic where 69.43% of the 12 million voters voted, according to the first estimates of the Electoral Commission.

Mr. Tokayev's dolphin is none other than the vote "

", credited with 5.2% of the votes according to this poll, while no other candidate exceeds 3.33%.

Rich in natural resources and located at the crossroads of important trade routes, Kazakhstan descended into chaos in January when protests against high prices escalated into riots, only to be brutally put down.

Balance sheet: 238 dead.

►

The country remains traumatized by this crisis and, a sign that tensions persist, the authorities announced on Thursday that they had arrested seven supporters of an opponent in exile, accused of fomenting a "

".

Consolidate your power

This early election was for Mr. Tokayev, 69, a way to consolidate his power.

This trained diplomat has transformed this year into a relentless leader, firing on rioters in January, arresting relatives of his

, then standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Coming to power in 2019 after the surprise resignation of the omnipotent Nazarbayev, Mr. Tokayev officially undertook to cut the cord in favor of the January crisis, after having long been considered the henchman of his predecessor.

This election is part of the long tradition of polls played in advance in Kazakhstan, like previous presidential elections: 71% of the votes for Mr. Tokayev in 2019 and 98% in 2015 for Mr. Nazarbayev.

Despite the posters calling on voters to “

” for the next seven years, the five opponents of Mr. Tokayev acted as stooges.

In Astana and Almaty, the two largest cities in the country, AFP saw several voters take pictures of themselves outside polling stations, many voters citing the "

" to show the photo to their employer on Monday.

Fifteen people demonstrated in Almaty to demand free elections and were all arrested by the police, AFP noted.

This election aims to turn the page of a difficult year, but also to consecrate the reign of President Tokayev, who has been trying for months to reduce the influence of the Nazarbayev clan.

"

New Kazakhstan

"

"

," said Mr. Tokayev after voting, while Kazakhstan was ruled for three decades by the omnipotent Nazarbayev.

President Tokayev campaigned on his project to create a more democratic and less unequal “

”.

But economic difficulties persist, as do authoritarian reflexes.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the social tensions, at the origin of the January demonstrations in Kazakhstan, could reappear in particular because of the global economic consequences of the war in Ukraine, while Kazakhstan is very economically dependent on Russia.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Tokayev has been trying to strengthen ties with China, but also with Europe as a counterweight to Russian influence.

In recent months, he has received visits from Russian, Turkish and Chinese heads of state as well as senior European officials, and even Pope Francis.

And promises of democratic openness and economic reform are resonating with the electorate.

Before the election, international election observers from the OSCE regretted that their recommendations “

” had “

”.

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(With AFP)

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• Kazakhstan

• Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

• Nursultan Nazarbayev