Almaty, Kazakhstan, Nov 20 (AFP\/APP):Kazakhs on Sunday voted in presidential elections expected to cement incumbent Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s grip on power, months after deadly unrest spurred a historic shift in the Central Asian country.<\/p>\n
At 1200 GMT, three hours before the 10,000 polling stations in the country closed, the turnout stood at 67.85%. First exit polls are expected at 1800 GMT.<\/p>\n
The victory of President Tokayev, who voted early on Sunday in the capital Astana, is all but a foregone conclusion as the 69-year-old is facing no real opposition.<\/p>\n
Authorities detained around 15 protesters demanding free and fair elections in the country’s largest city Almaty, AFP journalists witnessed.<\/p>\n
Last January, the vast former Soviet republic sank into chaos during protests over high living costs which left 238 dead.<\/p>\n
Kazakhstan has since then stabilised but tensions persist, as shown by the arrest on Thursday of seven opposition supporters accused of an attempted coup.<\/p>\n
Tokayev — once a steady hand known for lacking charisma — showed a ruthless side earlier this year by violently suppressing protests. <\/p>\n
Hoping to turn over a new leaf, Tokayev said he sought a “new mandate of trust from the people” in this election.<\/p>\n
– No competition – <\/p>\n
AFP journalists saw voters taking selfies in front of the polling stations in Astana the economic hub of Almaty, but this was not a show of excitement.<\/p>\n
Many said they would be “required” to show it when going back to work on Monday.<\/p>\n
If Tokayev announced reforms, the promised “new Kazakhstan” feels like a deja-vu, with a deserted political landscape, hardly credible opposition and political pressures. <\/p>\n
Critics are still sidelined and all five of Tokayev’s competitors are virtually unknown.<\/p>\n
This left 19-year-old student Alya Bokechova thinking that going to the polls “would be a loss of time”.<\/p>\n
“We already know who will win and we don’t know the other candidates,” she told AFP.<\/p>\n
But his promises of democratic and economic reforms resonate with some voters.<\/p>\n
Voting for Tokayev, police officer Nurlan N. said “Since independence 30 years ago, almost nothing changed, I would like to see some significant changes.”<\/p>\n
Casting her ballot in Almaty, 68-year-old pensioner Murzada Massalina said “Tokayev is the suitable candidate because he has a lot of experience.”<\/p>\n
Just days before the vote, seven people linked to exiled opponent Mukhtar Ablyazov were arrested over accusations they were planning a coup.<\/p>\n
Tokayev also said glorifying those who took part in the January protests was “unacceptable”.<\/p>\n
Observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) criticised Kazakhstan’s failure to meet electoral recommendations, including “conditions of eligibility and registration of candidates”.<\/p>\n
– Hoping for a change –<\/p>\n
Tokayev came to power in 2019 after winning 70 percent of the vote in an election whose outcome was inevitable after he obtained the backing of former ruler Nursultan Nazarbayev.<\/p>\n
For the following two-and-a-half years, he played a role of loyal protege.<\/p>\n
But that changed after protests erupted in January and Tokayev ordered law enforcement to “shoot to kill” demonstrators.<\/p>\n
Tokayev then distanced himself from his former mentor Nazarbayev, purged his clan from positions of authority and promised a “new and just Kazakhstan”.<\/p>\n
He announced reforms, a constitutional referendum and introduced single presidential terms of seven years.<\/p>\n
The Kazakh leader also stood up to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine shocked former Soviet republics. <\/p>\n
The offensive reawakened Kazakh concerns that Moscow may have ambitions on the north of the country, home to three million ethnic Russians.<\/p>\n
In response, Tokayev strengthened his country’s ties not only with China, but also with Europe. <\/p>\n
The leaders of Turkey and China visited Kazakhstan, as well as many high-ranking European officials and Pope Francis just this year.<\/p>\n
Tokayev also directly clashed with Putin on a visit to Saint Petersburg in June.<\/p>\n
He said Moscow’s move to recognise Ukrainian separatist regions — that it has since claimed to annex — would “lead to chaos”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Almaty, Kazakhstan, Nov 20 (AFP\/APP):Kazakhs on Sunday voted in presidential elections expected to cement incumbent Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s grip on power, months after deadly unrest spurred a historic shift in the Central Asian country. At 1200 GMT, three hours before the 10,000 polling stations in the […]<\/p>\n
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