Kazakhstan to hold June election with president Tokayev favourite
Kazakhstan's president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, called a snap presidential election for June 9 on Tuesday and looked to be in pole position to continue ruling the country, Reuters reported.
The only other potential heavyweight candidate, Dariga Nazarbayeva, has no plans to run, her aide told Kazakh news website Tengrinews.kz after the vote announcement.
The source reminds that r Nursultan Nazarbayev ran the ex-Soviet republic for almost three decades until his surprise resignation last month. Tokayev, then speaker of parliament's upper chamber, subsequently assumed the presidency.
The announcement of a snap election in two months leaves other potential candidates with little time to organise and run campaigns. The incumbent's ratings are likely to benefit from public sector pay rises in June and other welfare initiatives.