Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Ruling party sweeps Kazakh parliamentary election, exit polls show

Members of a local election committee empty a ballot box to count votes after polls closed during parliamentary election in Almaty, Kazakhstan, March 19, 2023. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev

Kazakhstan voted in a snap parliamentary election on Sunday widely expected to cement President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's grip on power and complete a reshuffle of the ruling elite that began after he fully assumed leadership last year.

Exits polls showed the ruling Amanat party winning 53-54% of the vote, enough to retain a comfortable majority. Voter turnout stood at 54.2%, the Central Election Commission said.

A stronger mandate will help Tokayev navigate through regional turmoil caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent damage to trade, investment and supply chains throughout the former Soviet Union.

Members of a local election committee count ballots after polls closed during parliamentary election in Almaty, Kazakhstan, March 19, 2023. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev

Although he formally became president in 2019, Tokayev, 69, had remained in the shadow of his predecessor and former patron Nursultan Nazarbayev until January 2022, when the two fell out amid an attempted coup and violent unrest.

Tokayev sidelined Nazarbayev, after suppressing political unrest in the oil-rich Central Asian country, and had a number of his associates removed from senior positions in the public sector, some of whom later faced corruption charges.

While Tokayev has reshuffled the government, the lower house of parliament - elected when Nazarbayev still had sweeping powers and led the ruling Nur Otan party - was not due for election until 2026, and the president called a snap vote.

A voter casts her ballot during a parliamentary election in the village of Azat, Almaty region, Kazakhstan March 19, 2023. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev

RULING PARTY

Unlike Nazarbayev, Tokayev has chosen not to lead the ruling party, rebranded Amanat, but it is certain to form the core of his support base in the legislature. Five other parties set to win seats also support Tokayev.

However, for the first time in almost two decades, several opposition figures were running as independents, a move which may allow some government critics to win a limited number of seats.

A voter casts his ballot during a parliamentary election in the village of Besagash, Kazakhstan March 19, 2023. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev

Still, in Almaty, Kazakhstan's biggest city which usually shows most support for the opposition, voting appeared slow on Sunday amid a heavy police presence on the streets.

"We keep complaining that nothing changes in our country and we ourselves take no part in our country's political life," said Yevgeniya, a 36-year-old marketing executive who declined to give her last name or say for whom she voted. "Going out and voting is the least we can do to bring about change."

Tokayev, who cast his ballot in Astana early in the morning without talking to the press, has said the vote would allow him to start implementing his plan to reform the country and ensure a fairer distribution of its oil wealth.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev votes during parliamentary elections, in Astana, Kazakhstan March 19, 2023. Press service of the President of Kazakhstan/Handout via REUTERS

The completion of political transition is also likely to strengthen Tokayev's hand in foreign policy. Despite receiving Moscow's backing during the 2022 unrest, he has refused to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine or recognise its annexation of some Ukrainian territories.

Astana is trying to maintain good relationships with both Moscow, its neighbour and major trading partner, and the West, which seeks to isolate Russia.

(Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov and Mariya Gordeyeva; Additional reporting by Tamara Vaal in Astana; Editing by William Mallard and David Holmes)

A voter casts a ballot during a parliamentary election in the town of Talgar, Almaty region, Kazakhstan March 19, 2023. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev
A woman carries a ballot box during a parliamentary election in the village of Azat, Almaty region, Kazakhstan March 19, 2023. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev
Kazakh former President Nursultan Nazarbayev reacts as he votes during parliamentary election, in Astana, Kazakhstan March 19, 2023. REUTERS/Turar Kazangapov
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.