The 69-year-old president took office in 2019
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Yomart Tokayev comfortably wins snap presidential election held yesterday Sunday in the largest country in central Asia, according to the still preliminary results released by the national electoral commission today.
The 69-year-old presidentwho took office in 2019, received 81.31% of the vote, according to the results so far published by the electoral commission. Participation reached 69.44%, according to the same source.
As expected, of Mr. Tokaev’s five opponents, who were all rather unknown to the public, none exceeded 3.42%.
A novelty of yesterday’s vote, the option of voting “against all” was selected by 5.8% of voters — in other words, opposition to all candidates took second place.
Once a subsoil-rich Soviet republic at the crossroads of strategic trade routes, Kazakhstan was plunged into chaos in January when protests against the country’s skyrocketing cost of living erupted into riots before being brutally suppressed. According to official figures, 238 people were killed.
The trauma of that crisis has not healed; if any proof was needed that tensions persist, authorities announced last Thursday that they had arrested seven supporters of an exiled opposition figure they accuse of inciting a “coup”.
President Tokaev campaigned touting his plan to create a “new Kazakhstan,” more democratic, less unequal. However, financial difficulties persist; as do authoritarian reflexes.
RES-EMP
Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
