Trending News

Kazakhstan election: Hundreds arrested in poll protests

(UTV|COLOMBO) – Police in Kazakhstan have arrested hundreds of people protesting against a poll to elect the country’s first new president in 30 years.

The election was called after long-time leader, 78-year-old Nursultan Nazarbayev, stepped down in March.

His hand-picked successor, interim President Kassym Jomart-Tokayev, is widely expected to win the vote.

Protesters claimed the poll was not free and fair. But Mr Tokayev described the process as democratic and open.

Exit polls suggest 66-year-old Mr Tokayev, a former director-general of the United Nations Office in Geneva, won the election with 70% of the vote.

Large-scale protests – the biggest the country has seen in years – have been reported in Kazakhstan’s capital, Nur-Sultan, and its largest city Almaty.

Hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, and several journalists and activists monitoring them, were detained by police.

 

[alert color=”faebcc” icon=”fa-commenting”]Keeping up to date with breaking news while you are on the move is now simple with UTV Alerts [textmarker color=”8a6d3b”]Type REG UTV and send to 77000[/textmarker] on your Dialog, Airtel, or Hutch mobile connection[/alert]

Related posts

Minister Samaraweera, Indian and Indonesian Finance Ministers hold talks in South Korea

Mohamed Dilsad

WWE star John Cena tries hand at cricket

Mohamed Dilsad

Govt. ready to cement friendship with China, says Premier

Mohamed Dilsad

Leave a Comment