Voting began Sunday in Kazakhstan's parliamentary election, which is expected to further consolidate President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's power in the largest country in Central Asia.
The ruling pro-presidential Adilet party is widely expected to secure a large majority, while several smaller parties aligned with Tokayev are also likely to win seats in parliament.
Tokayev, 73, a former Soviet official and Kazakh diplomat who previously worked at the United Nations, has served as president since 2019.
The election is the first to choose members of the country's new single-chamber parliament, known as the Kurultai.
Sunday's vote follows a constitutional overhaul launched by Tokayev in March. Some 87% of voters backed a referendum to abolish the two-chamber parliament and replace it with a single chamber. The changes also give the president authority to appoint key officials, subject to parliamentary approval, and restore the position of vice president.
Tokayev, who has tried to balance relations with Moscow and the West since Western sanctions were imposed on Russia over its war in Ukraine, has defended the reforms as necessary for faster decision-making amid a rapidly changing global environment.
Last month, Kazakhstan's Constitutional Court ruled that the constitutional amendments effectively reset the limit on Tokayev's previous presidential terms, allowing him to potentially seek another seven-year term.
The election is taking place amid economic difficulties. Inflation reached 10.2% in February, while tax increases have contributed to growing public dissatisfaction.
Analysts say the economic pressure has raised concerns among authorities about a possible repeat of the unrest in January 2022, when protests over fuel prices escalated into deadly violence that killed dozens of protesters and police officers. Tokayev has sought to prevent such unrest by concentrating greater power in his hands.
Tokayev described the election as a "truly historic event."
"Without a doubt, these elections will be remembered as perhaps the most interesting in our country's history," he said Friday. "Amid unprecedented geopolitical tensions and mounting global challenges, we must firmly and consistently implement our strategy to transform Kazakhstan into a truly developed state."
The election is also being held amid growing concerns over restrictions on press freedom. Media organizations have called on Tokayev to drop criminal cases against several journalists under house arrest and amend laws to strengthen press freedom.
Authorities have opened about 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and prominent bloggers.
The latest case involves independent journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov, host of the YouTube program "Prosto Zhurnalistika," or Simply Journalism. Akhmedyarov told The Associated Press that authorities opened a criminal case against him in August on charges of "disseminating false information" after he published a list of Kazakh citizens fighting in Ukraine. He could face up to seven years in prison.
"In the run-up to these parliamentary elections, repression has intensified sharply, with attacks on independent media, cyberattacks, and criminal cases launched against independent journalists and popular bloggers," Akhmedyarov told AP from Almaty.
He said the authorities appeared determined to silence media outlets they do not control, including those with which they failed to reach an agreement.
Akhmedyarov also said major cities across Kazakhstan were filled with advertisements and posters promoting the pro-presidential Adilet party.
"It is not very difficult to predict the outcome of these elections," he said.