Kazakhstan to hold snap leadership elections after deadly riots

Tokayev has promoted himself as a reform leader capable of bringing the country together after earlier this year authorising law enforcement to "shoot to kill" anti-government protesters.

Kazakhstan will hold snap presidential elections on Sunday expected to cement the incumbent Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's grip on power, months after deadly unrest spurred a historic power shift in the Central Asian country.

Leading up to the vote, Tokayev has promoted himself as a reform leader capable of bringing the country together after earlier this year authorising law enforcement to "shoot to kill" anti-government protesters.

His vast, ex-Soviet country is precariously perched geopolitically, with historic economic and military ties with Moscow and Beijing emerging as a regional power broker.

The 69-year-old has vowed to build "a new Kazakhstan," including by liberalising the judicial system and tackling corruption in the oil-rich country.

But deep social inequality that was at the origin of the January protests -- which left more than 230 people dead -- remains a problem in Kazakhstan and a potential political threat for the incumbent.

Tokayev became leader in 2019 and has since stymied opposition to his rule and consolidated power by sidelining his authoritarian predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev.

He is facing five little-known challengers as he seeks a seven-year term in the early vote he initiated in September, saying he needed a "new mandate of trust from the people."