According to a survey conducted by the regional research institute Open Society, Tokayev received 82.45 percent of the vote.
Konstantin Petrov, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan, announced at his press conference earlier that the turnout was 69.43%.
According to a spokesman for the Kazakh Prosecutor General’s Office, Azamat Sargazin, the presidential elections took place in a calm atmosphere.
Six candidates participated in the vote. Zhiguli Dagrabagiev, candidate of the Aweil People’s National Democratic Party, received 3.33 percent of the vote, Karkut Abidin, candidate of the National Association of Social Workers, received 2.54 percent of the vote, and Magram Kazykin, the candidate of the party’s tradition. The Grandfathers Party (Amanat) won 2.23 percent of the vote. Saltanat Turzhenbekova, candidate of the Association of Kazakh Mothers – The Path to Traditions, received 2.08 percent of the vote, and Nurlan Uyszbayev, candidate of the opposition National Social Democratic Party, received 2.17 percent of the vote.
Tokayev became president of Kazakhstan in June 2019, following the resignation of Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had led the country for nearly 30 years. In that vote, Tokayev won with 70.96 percent of the vote.
In the current campaign, the president has announced the building of a “new Kazakhstan”, where social inequalities will decrease.
And in June of this year, a constitutional reform was adopted in a referendum, according to which the term of office of the head of state is seven years instead of the previous five years, but the term cannot be renewed from now on.
Presidential elections were scheduled for 2024, but Tokayev presented them, citing reforms and strengthening the state structure.
At the beginning of the year, the country witnessed bloody demonstrations and riots that were sparked by the high prices of liquefied gas, which is used as fuel, and many of them died. Prime Minister Askar Mamen resigned over the events.
Cover photo: Contributor/Getty Images
