Kazakhstan's pro-government party wins parliamentary election, boosting president's grip on power

Election commission members count ballots at a polling station during early parliamentary elections in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Vladimir Tretyakov)

In this photo released by Kazakhstan’s President Press Office, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev casts his ballot at a polling station in Astana, Kazakhstan, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026.(Kazakhstan’s President Press Office via AP)

A woman casts her ballot at a polling station during early parliamentary elections in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Vladimir Tretyakov)

Kazakhstan’s pro-government Adilet Party won a landslide victory in a parliamentary election, officials announced Monday, a result expected to further strengthen President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s grip on power in Central Asia’s largest nation.

Adilet, which is led by the former head of Tokayev’s presidential administration, won 71% of Sunday’s vote, Kazakhstan’s central electoral commission said, according to preliminary results.