Kazakhstan holds parliamentary polls expected to cement president's grip

Almaty [Kazakhstan], August 24: Voters were heading to the polls in Kazakhstan's snap parliamentary election, which critics say will strengthen the power of the president.
Polling stations opened at 7am local time (02:00 GMT) and were scheduled to close at 8pm (15:00 GMT). More than 12 million of Kazakhstan's 20 million people were eligible to vote.
The election will usher in a new 145-member unicameral legislature that is expected to be dominated by supporters of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who has led the Central Asian country since 2019.
Constitutional overhauls earlier this year abolished Kazakhstan's upper house in favour of a one-body parliament. The constitutional changes also reset term limits to allow Tokayev to run again in 2029.
Source: Qatar Tribune