Kazakhstan's ruling party wins parliamentary elections: exit polls

Kazakhstan's ruling party comfortably won Sunday's elections to a new single-chamber parliament, exit polls suggested, consolidating President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's hold on power.

Three exit polls reported by state television gave the pro-Tokayev Adilet party between 70 and 72 percent of the vote, giving it most of the parliament's 145 seats.

The electoral commission put turnout at 74.19 percent, rising to 90 percent in some regions.

The new parliamentary chamber was created following changes to the country's constitution that authorities say will democratise central Asia's largest economy, but which critics say has cemented the president's power.

Ex-Soviet Kazakhstan is an ally of Russia and maintains close ties with China.

But its vast natural resources and strategic location between Europe and Asia mean it is also an important partner for the European Union.

Around 12.6 million of the country's 20-million population are eligible to vote.

The country adopted a new constitution in March which abolished the upper house Senate in favour of a one-body parliament -- known as the kurultai, a reference to medieval councils of the nomadic people that lived across central Asia.

Officials said the change would give the body more weight in political decision-making, having been confined to a largely auxiliary role under a system where power is concentrated in the presidency.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who came to power in 2019, has talked up a reform programme -- called "Just Kazakhstan" -- since 238 people died in 2022 riots after cost-of-living protests escalated.

The 73-year-old says he is trying to move on from his authoritarian predecessor, the eccentric Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled the country for three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

However, only seven state-approved parties -- all more or less loyal to Tokayev -- were permitted to field candidates in Sunday's vote. Five of them won enough votes to be represented in the new parliament, the exit polls indicated.

But genuine opposition groups have been banned.

Ahead of the vote, there was no doubt Adilet was set to scoop the vast majority of the parliament's seats.