Kazakhstan election: Incumbent President Tokayev wins by a landslide

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has been re-elected as leader of the country, as per preliminary results. Voters in Central Asia's largest country handed him a landslide victory. The election has been criticised by independent monitors for, as they say,lacking competitiveness. But Russian President Vladimir Putin, the regional power broker, congratulated Tokayev for his "convincing" win.

Kazakhstan was part of Soviet Russia.

69-year-old Tokayev came to power in 2019. The oil-rich country's electoral commission said, that Tokayev got 81.21 per cent of votes. Final results were due to be announced within a week, after a tally of votes from abroad.

Outcome of the elections was not a surprise as opponents of Tokayev were virtually unknown. None of them scored double digits and 5.8 per cent of voters cast their ballots against all candidates.

Turnout was just over 69 percent among 12 million eligible voters, election officials said.

"The people have clearly expressed their confidence in me and we have to justify it," Tokayev said as results emerged.

The mission from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) however said the election lacked "competitiveness" and showed the need for legislative reforms.

Rich in natural resources and located at the crossroads of important trade routes, Kazakhstan sank into chaos during protests over high living costs in January, which left 238 dead.

(With inputs from agencies)

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