Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was poised to secure a fresh term after Sunday’s vote, capping months of political high drama that started with violent protests he called a coup attempt and included his open defiance of Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.
An exit poll carried on state television pointed to Tokayev, 69, winning 82% of the ballot — a widely expected outcome after little in the way of campaigning or debates. His five obscure rivals have avoided criticism of the incumbent, the hand-picked successor of Kazakhstan’s first and only other president, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
“The elections are more of a coronation than free and fair elections,” said Kate Mallinson, founder of Prism Political Risk Management in London.
