ASTANA -- Kazakhstan's Central Election Commission (OSK) has declared incumbent President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev as the winner of a November 20 presidential election that international observers said lacked competetiveness.
The OSK said on November 22 that Toqaev received 81.3 percent of the vote and that he will be inaugurated for a seven-year term on November 26.
Toqaev's victory was expected, given he was competing against five little-known opponents.
A monitoring mission led by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said after the election that it lacked "competitiveness" and underlined "the need for further reforms to bring related legislation and its implementation in line with OSCE commitments to ensure genuine pluralism."
"The incumbent stood as the joint candidate of all parliamentary parties and, in effect, was not meaningfully challenged in a low-key campaign. The ability of citizens to participate fully in political life remains significantly constrained, including by limitations on fundamental freedoms," the group's assessment said.
Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry harshly criticized the assessment, saying it "lacks objectivity" and "puts in question" the effectiveness of such operations.
The assessment "contains a set of typical OSCE/ODIHR biased conclusions, demonstrating a complete unwillingness to recognize the development of the internal situation in our country," the ministry said, adding that it contains "unsubstantiated and unconfirmed allegations."
"The content of the OSCE/ODIHR's statement demonstrates a lack of desire to develop long-term and constructive cooperation with Kazakhstan authorities, which will, undoubtedly, be taken into account," it said.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement on November 22 saying Washington "concurs with the preliminary findings of the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) observation mission."
"The United States calls on the Kazakhstani government to fully implement ODIHR's recommendations for future elections, including upcoming parliamentary elections in 2023," the statement said, while also stressing "we look forward to working with President [Toqaev] and his government to advance our common objectives."
"The United States also reiterates its unwavering support for Kazakhstan's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, which has been the bedrock of our partnership for over 30 years," the statement said
The November 20 election came nearly three months after Kazakhstan replaced its system limiting presidents to two consecutive five-year terms with a single seven-year term. The constitutional changes were proposed by Toqaev as part of his campaign to create what he calls a "new" Kazakhstan.
The presidential vote was originally due in 2024 and parliamentary elections in 2025. But in September, Toqaev called for early presidential and parliamentary elections, saying a new mandate was needed to “maintain the momentum of reforms” following a June referendum that stripped ex-President Nursultan Nazarbaev of his prestigious “Elbasy” (leader of the nation) status.
Toqaev continues to distance himself from his predecessor, who stepped down in 2019 after nearly three decades in power and named his longtime ally as his successor.
The referendum to amend the constitution -- which included the new presidential term limit -- was presented by Toqaev as an important step to shift Kazakhstan from a "super-presidential form of government to a presidential republic with a strong parliament."
Critics, however, have said the overhaul didn't change the nature of the authoritarian regime and failed to remove any significant power that the president's office held.