Kazakhstan's pro-government Adilet Party secured a landslide victory in Sunday's parliamentary election, a result expected to further consolidate President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's hold on power in Central Asia's largest country.
The party won 71% of the vote, according to preliminary results released Monday by Kazakhstan's Central Election Commission.
The Auyl Party came second with 6.26%, while the Nationwide Social Democratic Party, Respublica and Aq Jol also crossed the 5% threshold required to enter parliament.
Election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the election lacked meaningful political competition, noting that all participating parties supported the incumbent president's policies.
Around 74% of Kazakhstan's 12.6 million eligible voters cast ballots. Authorities also used unusual measures to encourage participation, including arranging for some voters to reach polling stations by parachutes and hot air balloons.
The election was the first to select members of the country's new single-chamber parliament, known as the Kurultai, following a constitutional overhaul initiated by Tokayev.
In a referendum in March, around 87% of voters backed merging Kazakhstan's two parliamentary chambers into one.
The constitutional changes also gave the president greater authority to appoint key officials, subject to parliamentary approval.
Last month, Kazakhstan's Constitutional Court ruled that the amendments effectively reset Tokayev's previous presidential terms, potentially allowing him to seek another seven-year term after his current mandate ends in 2029.
Similar constitutional changes have been used in several former Soviet republics, including Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, to alter presidential term limits.
Tokayev, 73, has served as president since 2019. A former Soviet official and diplomat who worked at the United Nations, he has sought to maintain balanced relations with Russia and Western countries following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Tokayev has defended the constitutional changes, saying they are necessary to enable faster decision-making amid global changes.
The election was held as Kazakhstan faces economic pressures, with inflation reaching 10.2% in February and tax increases contributing to public dissatisfaction.
Analysts say the government remains concerned about a repeat of the January 2022 unrest, when fuel-price protests escalated into violence that killed dozens of protesters and police officers.
The election also took place amid growing concerns over press freedom. Media groups have urged Tokayev to drop criminal cases against journalists under house arrest and amend laws to better protect freedom of expression.
Authorities have opened about 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and prominent bloggers, according to media organizations.