2019 Kazakh presidential election

Nursultan Nazarbayev was elected for a 5th term as president in the 2015 elections. He was widely expected to run again in 2020, but resigned in March 2019, stating that Senate Chair Kassym-Jomart Tokayev would take over as president for the remainder of his term.[3] However, on 9 April, Tokayev announced that a snap election would be held on 9 June to avoid "political uncertainty".[1] Some talks arose that Nazarbayev's daughter, Dariga, who succeeded Tokayev as the Chair of the Senate, was expected to run in the election as a way to ensure her father's legacy.[4] However, Dariga stated that she had no plans in joining the race.[5] On 23 April, backed by former President Nazarbayev himself, Tokayev was nominated by the ruling party Nur Otan to be its candidate for the election and became registered on 3 May, putting the rumors of Dariga's possible candidacy aside.[6][7]

The President of Kazakhstan is elected using the two-round system; if no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round, a second round is held between the top two candidates.[8]

Nine candidates applied to the Central Electoral Commission to contest the elections. A record seven were registered to run, whilst one candidate withdrew and one was disqualified for not possessing sufficient knowledge of the Kazakh language.[9]

Registered candidates

Candidate, political party		Political party		Occupation	Registration date
Jambyl Ahmetbekov		QKHP		Member of the Mazhilis (2012–present)	6 May 2019[10]
Dania Espaeva		Ak Zhol		Member of the Mazhilis (2016–present)	4 May 2019[11]
Amirjan Qosanov		Ult Tagdyry		Journalist	6 May 2019[12]
Toleutai Rahymbekov		Auyl		Chairman of the Board of the National Agrarian Scientific and Educational Center	6 May 2019[13]
Amangeldi Taspihov		Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan		Chairman of the Territorial Association of Trade Unions of West Kazakhstan Region Member of the Mazhilis (2004–2007)	4 May 2019[14]
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev		Nur Otan		President of Kazakhstan (2019–present) Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan (2007–2011 and 2013–2019) Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (2011–2013) Minister of Foreign Affairs (2002–2007) Prime Minister of Kazakhstan (1999–2002)	3 May 2019[15]
Sadybek Tugel		Uly Dala Kyrandary		First Vice President of the Association of National Sports of Kazakhstan President of the Equestrian Federation of Kazakhstan	3 May 2019[14]

On 14 May 2019, a televised debate was announced between the candidates.[26] It was held on 29 May and was broadcast live on the Khabar TV channel.[27] The cost of the event amounted to 41 million tenge.[28]

Four presidential candidates: Jambyl Ahmetbekov, Amirjan Qosanov, Amangeldy Taspihov and Sadybek Tugel participated in the debates and the rest of the three candidates were represented by Azat Peruashev for Dania Espaeva, Ali Bektaev for Toleutai Rahymbekov, and Mäulen Äşimbaev for Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.[29] The debate was divided into three rounds. In the first round, all participants were asked about the development of the education system in Kazakhstan, in the second round about social modernization of Kazakhstan, and in the third round, the candidates were allowed to ask questions to two other participants in the debate.[30]

Kazakh protesters facing off against riot police in Almaty, 9 June 2019

Protests broke out on 9–10 June in the cities of Nur-Sultan and Almaty. The protest itself was organized by a banned opposition group the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan which is led by a former, now-exiled Kazakh banker Mukhtar Ablyazov. The protesters claimed that the election was "not free and fair".[31] It is estimated the around 5,000 demonstrators, journalists and activists were detained by the police.[32] The event was the first time that Kazakhstan faced protests during the elections.

The election was criticized by the OSCE, saying there were no democratic standards, with peaceful protesters being detained and the reported cases of ballot box stuffing.[33]