Kazakhstan: Tokayev elected president amid protests

Acting President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has been elected president with almost 71% of the vote, as reported by Asia News on 10 June 2019. Radio Free Europe reported on 18 June 2019 that post-election protests in the country's main cities had led to 4,000 arrests. Rolf Zeegers, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "It was no surprise at all that Tokayev was elected. He was the protĩgĩ of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev and it was pre-planned that he should take over power. What did come as a surprise were the large-scale protests against the election, which are unheard-of in Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, little is expected to change in Kazakhstan, both for Christians and the wider population."