Kazakhstan Votes in Parliamentary Elections

Polls have opened in Kazakhstan for parliamentary elections, a vote expected to further strengthen President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s power in Central Asia’s largest nation.

The ruling pro-presidential Adilet party is widely predicted to win an overwhelming majority, with several smaller parties loyal to Tokayev also anticipated to enter parliament.

Tokayev, 73, a former Soviet official and Kazakh diplomat who previously worked at the United Nations, has been in office since 2019. He has been in power for over four years, and the current elections are expected to solidify his position.

The country’s first elections to a new, single-chamber parliament called the Kurultai are taking place on Sunday. This comes after a constitutional overhaul initiated by Tokayev in March, where 87% of voters supported a referendum to merge the two chambers of parliament into one and grant the president authority to appoint key officials, subject to parliamentary approval, including reestablishing the vice presidency.

Tokayev has justified the changes by citing the need for rapid decision-making in a fast-changing world. He has also sought to maintain a delicate balance between Moscow and the West since sanctions were imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Last month, Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court ruled that the amendments effectively reset the clock on Tokayev’s previous terms in office, opening the door for him to run for another seven-year term.

The election comes at a difficult economic moment for Kazakhstan, with inflation hitting 10.2% in February and tax hikes fueling public discontent. Analysts say the economic strain has made authorities wary of a repeat of the unrest of January 2022, when fuel price protests spiraled into violence that left dozens of protesters and police officers dead.

Tokayev is seeking to guard against this scenario by concentrating power in his own hands. He has said the vote promises to be a ‘truly historic event’ and has urged citizens to participate in the elections.

The vote is also taking place against a backdrop of intensifying crackdowns on press freedom. Media organizations have urged Tokayev to drop criminal charges against several journalists currently under house arrest and to revise the country’s legislation to ensure press freedom. Authorities have opened roughly 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and popular bloggers.

The most recent case involves Lukpan Akhmedyarov, an independent journalist who hosts the YouTube project ‘Prosto Zhurnalistika’, or Simply Journalism. He told The Associated Press that a criminal case was opened against him in August on charges of ‘disseminating false information’ after he published a list of Kazakhstani citizens fighting in Ukraine. He faces up to seven years in prison.

Akhmedyarov said the streets of Kazakhstan’s major cities are ‘flooded with advertisements and posters for the pro-presidential Adilet party.’ He also predicted the outcome of the elections, saying, ‘It is not very difficult to predict the outcome of these elections.’

Economic Challenges and Press Freedom Concerns

The country’s economic situation is a pressing concern, with inflation and tax hikes causing public discontent. Additionally, the government’s crackdown on press freedom has raised concerns among media organizations and human rights groups.

Constitutional Changes and Power Concentration

The constitutional overhaul initiated by Tokayev has granted him greater authority and concentrated power in his hands. This move has been met with criticism from opposition groups and human rights organizations.

Implications for the Country’s Future

The outcome of the elections is expected to have significant implications for Kazakhstan’s future, with Tokayev’s grip on power expected to tighten. The country’s economic situation and press freedom concerns will also continue to be major issues in the coming years.