Kazakhs begin voting in election set to tighten president’s power

Kazakhs commenced voting on Sunday in a snap parliamentary election that appears poised to bolster President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's authority in the Central Asian nation, according to wire reports. The vote was prompted by the introduction of a fresh constitution earlier this year, which simplified the legislative branch from two chambers to one. Kazakhstan's Supreme Court recently affirmed that the new constitution permits Tokayev, who assumed office in 2019, to run for a subsequent seven-year term.

Opinion polls indicate a substantial majority of support for Adilet, a pro-Tokayev party established only recently, which absorbed the previous ruling party, Amanat, responsible for the dominance of Kazakh politics since the 1990s. Multiple opposition parties, all reportedly aligned with Tokayev, are also participating in the election.

However, even as the polls close in the capital city, Astana, Tokayev informed journalists that it was premature to determine whether he would seek another term in office. Tokayev succeeded Kazakhstan's inaugural president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, and severed ties with the latter following a 2022 period of unrest, which he portrayed as a coup attempt orchestrated by Nazarbayev's associates.