ASTANA: Kazakhstan’s main political party received more than half the vote in parliamentary polls, election officials said on Monday.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called Sunday’s polls in the oil-rich Central Asian state after deadly riots last year.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe welcomed progress in Kazakhstan’s parliamentary polls but said more democratic reforms were required.
The ruling Amanat party secured first position with 53.90% of the vote, far ahead of its runner-up rival, Auyl Party, with 10.90%, election officials said.
The distribution of parliamentary seats by party remained unclear.
Six parties likely to enter Kazakhstan’s parliament
In total, 6 parties are expected to enter the legislature, compared to 3 currently, but opposition parties were barred from the elections.
Europe’s main rights and security watchdog said that its several recommendations had been implemented, and that is why there was an increased choice for voters.
However, the OSCE observers said that further changes to the legal framework are required to provide a sufficient basis for holding democratic elections.
Turnout was 54.19% among the 12 million eligible voters in the former Soviet country.
Deadly riots shook the country last year. The violence, which grew out of peaceful protests over a spike in fuel prices, leftover 230 people dead.
A new system was introduced for these polls, with sixty-nine deputies -– out of the ninety-nine in the Majilis, the parliament’s lower house -– elected by proportional representation.
