He received 81.31 percent of the vote. The President of Kazakhstan, Kassam-Jomart Tokayev, won yesterday’s early presidential elections in the largest country in Central Asia, AFP reported, referring to the preliminary results.
Sixty-nine-year-old Tokaev, who came to power in 2019, won 81.31 percent of the vote, according to preliminary information released today by the Central Election Commission. According to her data, voter turnout reached 69.44%.
As expected, the five rivals of the head of state performed the role of extras – none of them collected more than 3.42%, notes AFP.
A novelty of the election, the “against all” option was the choice of 5.8% of voters.
Rich in natural resources and located at an important trade crossroads, Kazakhstan descended into chaos in January when anti-price demonstrations turned into riots that left 238 dead before being brutally quelled.
The country is still traumatized by this crisis. In a sign that tensions have not subsided, authorities announced last week that they had arrested seven supporters of an exiled opposition figure on charges of inciting a coup.
A central theme in Tokaev’s election campaign was his project to build a fairer, “New Kazakhstan”. However, economic difficulties persist, as do the authoritarian reflexes of power.
Photo by Konevi
