Kazakhstan votes in parliamentary election expected to strengthen president's grip on power

Kazakhstan held a parliamentary election on Sunday, which is expected to bolster President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's authority in the nation, the largest in Central Asia. The pro-presidential Adilet party is expected to secure a substantial majority, with several smaller parties allied to Tokayev also likely to gain seats in the new, single-chamber parliament known as the Kurultai.

The 73-year-old former Soviet official and Kazakh diplomat has been serving as president since 2019. This vote marks the implementation of a constitutional change Tokayev proposed in March, following a referendum where 87 percent of voters backed the merger of the two chambers of parliament into one. The amendment grants the president the power to appoint key officials, including reviving the vice presidency, subject to parliamentary approval.

President Tokayev has endeavored to strike a delicate balance between Russia and the West since Russia imposed sanctions on it in response to the war in Ukraine.