In a power-sharing arrangement, Nazarbayev, 78, remains chairman of the influential Securiy Council and leads the ruling Nur Otan party. With Tokayev's six rivals largely unknown to Kazakh voters, opponents denounced the election as unfair, prompting public protests despite Kazakhstan's restrictive laws on freedom of expression. During Sunday's vote, police arrested 500 people at rallies in Almaty and Nur-Sultan, the capital city that was renamed after Nazarbayev at Tokayev’s suggestion. The vast majority of local media does not criticise Nazarbayev, and social media and online messaging platforms were restricted during Sunday's election. "We must unite to work for the future of Kazakhstan," Tokayev's campaign website quoted him as saying.

Source: bd News24 June 10, 2019 08:37 UTC