ALMATY: Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, an ally of veteran leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, was set to be elected president of Kaza­khs­tan on Sunday with 70 per cent of the vote, according to exit polls.

Nazarbayev, who had run the oil-rich former Soviet republic for almost three decades before stepping down in March and retains sweeping powers, hand-picked the 66-year-old diplomat to succeed him, making the outcome of the vote against challengers with little political profile all but certain.

Police detained about 500 people after dispersing protests against an uncompetitive election. Hundreds of people chanting “Shame! Shame!” staged protests in Almaty and Nur-Sultan, the capital city that was renamed after Nazarbayev at Tokayev’s suggestion.

But a smooth transfer of power is positive news for neighbouring Russia and China, and for foreign energy and mining companies that have invested hundreds of billions of dollars.

For many of Kazakhstan’s 12 million registered voters, Tokayev, the interim president and also a former prime minister, was the only familiar face among seven candidates in a brief and uneventful campaign.

“Well, Nazarbayev is no longer on the ballot and I don’t know any of the other candidates,” said Natalya, a pensioner, after casting her vote for Tokayev.

Nazarbayev, 78, who holds the official title of Yelbasy, or national leader, and continues to run the ruling Nur Otan party, routinely took over 90 percent of the vote in elections described by Western observers as neither free nor fair.

Kazakhstan’s rubber-stamp parliament, whose upper chamber Tokayev chaired before assuming the presidency, is devoid of opposition, and dissent is largely stifled through control of traditional and electronic media and social networks.

Telegram, a popular mobile messaging app, was inaccessible on Sunday in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, and Facebook was also blocked for hours early in the day.

Correspondents in Almaty and Nur-Sultan saw police clad in riot gear detain dozens of demonstrators as they forcefully dispersed rallies. The interior ministry later said police had detained about 500 people, describing them as “radical elements seeking to destabilise society”.

Deputy Interior Minister Marat Kozhayev said two policemen had been hurt by rocks hurled at them from the crowd and one sustained an eye injury from pepper spray.

One foreign reporter based in Almaty posted a photo of himself with a black eye sitting inside a police vehicle after being detained, but said the bruise was a result of falling on a policeman’s knee rather than being struck deliberately.

Tokayev said after casting his ballot in Nur-Sultan that he was urging both police and protesters to be tolerant and planned to include young activists critical of the government.Tokayev had himself said he had no doubt that he would win the election and promised to take guidance from Nazarbayev.

The arrangement under which Nazarbayev effectively remains in charge ensures policy continuity — but also means political uncertainty will linger until he withdraws from politics.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2019