Kazakhstan votes in election set to cement Tokayev's control

Voters in Kazakhstan went to the polls on Sunday for parliamentary elections widely expected to consolidate President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's authority in Central Asia's largest nation. The pro-presidential Adilet party is projected to secure a dominant majority, with several smaller parties loyal to the president also likely to win seats.

The vote is the first for the newly created single-chamber parliament, the Kurultai, and follows a constitutional overhaul championed by Tokayev. In March, a referendum saw 87% of voters approve merging the two legislative chambers and granting the president the power to appoint key officials, subject to parliamentary approval, including reinstating the vice presidency.

Tokayev, a 73-year-old former Soviet official and diplomat who has led the country since 2019, has framed the changes as necessary for rapid decision-making in a volatile global environment. Last month, the Constitutional Court ruled that the amendments reset the clock on his previous terms, allowing him to seek another seven-year mandate.

The election unfolds against a difficult economic backdrop. Inflation reached 10.2% in February, and recent tax hikes have stoked public frustration. Analysts suggest the government is wary of a repeat of the January 2022 unrest, when fuel price protests escalated into deadly violence, and see the centralization of power as a measure to prevent such an outbreak.

Tokayev has called the election a "truly historic event," saying it would be remembered as "perhaps the most interesting in our country's history." He stressed the need to transform Kazakhstan into a fully developed state amid "unprecedented geopolitical tensions."

However, the vote is taking place amid intensified pressure on independent media. Journalists and press freedom groups have urged authorities to drop criminal charges against several reporters under house arrest and to revise legislation protecting press freedom. Around ten criminal cases have been opened against independent journalists and bloggers.

One such case involves Lukpan Akhmedyarov, an independent journalist behind the YouTube project "Prosto Zhurnalistika." He faces up to seven years in prison on charges of "disseminating false information" after publishing a list of Kazakhstani citizens fighting in Ukraine. Akhmedyarov described a sharp rise in repression ahead of the vote, including cyberattacks and legal action against outlets not aligned with the government. He noted that streets in major cities are "flooded with advertisements" for the Adilet party, making the election's outcome "not very difficult to predict."