Kazakhstan

Tokayev wins Kazakh presidential election with 81.3% of vote

cde.news desk 21 November 2022, 06:45 · 1 min read

epa10018420 Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attends a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in St. Petersburg, Russia, 17 June 2022. The 25th St.Petersburg International Economic Forum runs from 15 to 18 June 2022. EPA-EFE/ANATOLY MALTSEV

ASTANA, Nov 21 (Reuters) – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev secured a second term in Sunday’s snap election, winning 81.31% of the vote, the central Asian nation’s Central Election Commission said on Monday, citing preliminary data.

The 69-year-old former diplomat had been widely expected to extend his rule over the oil-rich nation by seven years and get a strong mandate to continue his increasingly independent foreign policy, as the former Soviet republic navigates the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Voter turnout stood at 69.44%, with five other candidates scoring in the low single digits, data showed. The second most popular option picked by voters was “against everyone”, with 5.8% of ballots.

Several fellow central Asian leaders congratulated Tokayev on Monday morning before the preliminary results were announced, as exit polls published earlier showed similar figures.

Reporting by Tamara Vaal; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Kim Coghill and Edmund Klamann