Ruling Party, Longtime Leader Back Loyalist For Kazakh Presidency

Sumaira FH Published April 23, 2019 | 05:00 PM

Kazakhstan's ruling party nominated a loyalist to the country's longtime leader as its presidential candidate on Tuesday, setting the stage for a smooth handover of power in the Central Asian nation

NurSultan, Kazakhstan, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2019 ) :Kazakhstan's ruling party nominated a loyalist to the country's longtime leader as its presidential candidate on Tuesday, setting the stage for a smooth handover of power in the Central Asian nation.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took over as interim president last month following the shock resignation of Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had ruled the ex-Soviet nation for three decades.

Tokayev called a snap election for June 9, and on Tuesday a packed conference of the ruling Nur Otan party had a predictable feel as speaker after speaker praised both men and delegates gave him unanimous backing as their candidate.

Tokayev, 65, is now certain to win the snap vote, marking a rare handover of the top job in a region where local leaders usually hold on to office until death.

His anticipated victory in June will mark "an appointment" rather than a popular endorsement, according to Sergey Duvanov, an opposition-minded political commentator.

Tokayev will face mere "sparring partners" rather than genuine contenders in the vote, Duvanov told AFP via email.