Kazakhstan's Ruling Party Secures Landslide Victory in Parliamentary Election

ASTANA — Kazakhstan's pro-presidential Adilet party has won a landslide victory in the country's parliamentary elections, according to exit polls, in a vote that is expected to further consolidate President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's grip on power in Central Asia's largest nation.

State television aired exit polls giving Adilet between 70% and 72% of the vote, while a separate poll cited by the South China Morning Post put the party at 71.8%. The Auyl party, representing agrarian interests, was a distant second with 6.4%, according to the latter poll. The South China Morning Post also reported that five parties had cleared the 5% threshold, according to an exit poll by the Institute of Eurasian Integration, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point. Voter turnout was reported at 74.19%, according to the country's central election commission.

The vote was the first to the new, single-chamber parliament called the Kurultai, which was established in a constitutional overhaul initiated by Tokayev in March. The changes, approved by 87% of voters in a referendum, merged the two chambers of parliament and granted the president authority to appoint key officials, including reestablishing the vice presidency.

Tokayev, 73, a former Soviet official and diplomat who has been in office since 2019, has described the vote as a "truly historic event." The South China Morning Post reported that, after casting his ballot, Tokayev hinted he may stay in power beyond his current term. "I have the right to be re-elected in accordance with the law," he told reporters. "Perhaps next year I'll be able to give you a more specific answer."

A Constitutional Shift and Its Critics

The constitutional overhaul, which Tokayav initiated and which the new parliament is a key part of, has drawn both praise and concern. Backers of the new body say it will give parliament more say in decision-making, while critics argue it will only cement Tokayev's power. The reforms came after Tokayev took over from former leader Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2019. Last month, Kazakhstan's Constitutional Court ruled that the amendments reset the clock on Tokayev's previous terms in office, making him eligible to run for another seven-year term.

The changes were implemented amid significant economic challenges. Inflation hit 10.2% in February, and tax hikes have fueled public discontent. Analysts say the economic strain has made authorities wary of a repeat of the January 2022 unrest, which left dozens dead and which Tokayev has called an attempted coup.

The election also took place against a backdrop of press freedom concerns, with several outlets reporting criminal cases against journalists and bloggers.

Tokayev, who has sought to maintain a balance between Moscow and the West, said before the election that "amid unprecedented geopolitical tensions and mounting global challenges, we must firmly and consistently implement our strategy to transform Kazakhstan into a truly developed state."

Reporting from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Barchart, Daily Excelsior, The Manila Times, NBC News, and SFGATE was used in this report.