All the parties in Kazakhstan’s election support the government

WHEN KAZAKHSTAN’S president came to power two years ago, he made pronouncements that counted as radical in a country that had only just emerged from three decades under a single strongman. Painting himself as a cautious reformer, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev promised “political competition” in the oil-rich Central Asian state. That marked a change from his predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who won several elections with more than 90% of the vote and seldom faced any opposition from the rubber-stamp parliament. Yet the general election to be held on January 10th—the first since Mr Nazarbayev resigned in 2019—seems even less democratic than the six previous contests since Kazakhstan became independent in 1991. For the first time, no genuine opposition parties will appear on the ballot.

The ruling Nur Otan party will win in the usual crushing landslide. Led by the 80-year-old Mr Nazarbayev, who continues to pull the political strings, Nur Otan has promised to improve public services and create jobs—tasks made all the more urgent since the pandemic induced an economic slump.