The decision that 'reset' the president's term and the fear of riots: 'A historic event'
Polling stations have opened in Kazakhstan for parliamentary elections expected to further consolidate President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's power. The ruling Amanat party is projected to win an overwhelming majority in the newly merged legislature, the Kurultai.
Polling stations opened this morning (Sunday) in Kazakhstan for parliamentary elections expected to further strengthen the power of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the largest country in Central Asia. Tokayev, 73, a former Soviet official, diplomat, and UN staffer, has served as president since 2019. The Amanat party, identified with the president, is projected to win an overwhelming majority, with several smaller loyalist parties also expected to enter parliament.
These are the country's first elections for the new parliament, known as the Kurultai, which has been merged into a single legislative body. The elections are the culmination of constitutional changes initiated by Tokayev in March. In a subsequent referendum, 87% of voters supported merging the two houses of parliament and granting the president authority to appoint senior officials, subject to parliamentary approval. The position of vice president was also restored.
Tokayev, who has attempted to maintain a delicate balance between Moscow and the West since the imposition of sanctions on Russia following the war in Ukraine, justified the changes by the "need to make decisions quickly" in a changing world. Last month, Kazakhstan's Constitutional Court ruled that the amendments effectively reset the count of Tokayev's previous terms, opening the possibility for him to run for another seven-year term.
The elections are being held during a difficult economic period. Inflation reached 10.2% in February, and tax increases have fueled public dissatisfaction. Analysts suggest that economic pressure has caused authorities to fear a repeat of the January 2022 riots, when fuel price protests deteriorated into violence, resulting in dozens of deaths. According to observers, Tokayev seeks to prevent a similar scenario by concentrating more power in his hands.
Tokayev himself defined the elections as historic: "There is no doubt that these elections will be remembered as perhaps the most interesting in the history of our country," he said on Friday. "Against the backdrop of unprecedented geopolitical tensions and growing global challenges, we must resolutely and consistently implement our strategy to transform Kazakhstan into a truly developed country."
The elections are also taking place against a backdrop of worsening restrictions on press freedom. Authorities have opened approximately 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and popular bloggers. Media organizations have called on Tokayev to drop charges against several journalists currently under house arrest and to ensure press freedom.
The latest case involves Lukpan Akhmedyarov, an independent journalist who hosts the YouTube project "Prosto Zhurnalistika" (Simply Journalism). He faces up to seven years in prison after a criminal case was opened against him in August for allegedly "spreading false information" after he published a list of Kazakh citizens fighting in Ukraine.
"Ahead of the parliamentary elections, repression has intensified sharply, with attacks on independent media, cyberattacks, and criminal cases opened against independent journalists and popular bloggers," Akhmedyarov told the AP agency from Almaty. He added that the authorities appear to be silencing all media outlets not under their control. "It is not particularly difficult to predict the results of these elections," he said, noting that the streets of major cities are "flooded with advertisements and posters of the pro-presidential Amanat party."
