Kazakhstan holds early elections

Astana [Kazakhstan], March 21:Early parliamentary elections were held in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, where people are still reeling from deadly protests last year that President Kassym-JomartTokayev suppressed. Polling stations in the Central Asian country, which has two time zones, closed on Sunday at 8 pm (1400 or 1500 GMT).
Over half the electorate, approximately 12 million voters, exercised their rights on Sunday.More than 200 people died in Tokayev's crackdown on protesters last year. Critics accused Tokayev of wanting to further consolidate his power in the country of 19 million by calling the snap elections back in January. The ruling party was expected to win easily. In the poll run-up, Tokayev initiated several reforms and promised democratisation. As a result, all 98 members of the parliament's lower house are now directly elected. International observers have praised some innovations, such as lowering the threshold for entering parliament from 7% to 5% and admitting non-party candidates. But they criticised a lack of freedom of the press and opinion. DimashAlzhanov, a political scientist, accuses those in power of hardly allowing genuine opposition candidates. "These elections can be described as an attempt to create a more convincing imitation of competition," says Alshanov. Many citizens understand this too, but he says that after Tokayev's brutal tactics last year, it is hard to think of major public backlash at the moment.LawyerAjnaShormanbayeva said: "We need an international clarification of the protests. There can be no justice until the killing of so many people by the state has not been clarified. In January 2022, protests against high prices and social injustice turned into an unprecedented power struggle among Kazakh elites in the oil-rich country bordering Russia and China.
Tokayev emerged victorious, ousting the former long-time president NursultanNazarbayev. Tokayev even renamed the capital, named after Nazarbayev, from Nur-Sultan to Astana. About ten months after the suppression of the unrest, with the help of Russian troops, Tokayev had himself confirmed in office.
Source: Qatar Tribune