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| Kazakhstan election: Hundreds arrested in poll protests | Kazakhstan election: Hundreds arrested in poll protests |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Police in Kazakhstan have arrested hundreds of people protesting against a poll to elect the country's first new president in 30 years. | 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, Nursultan Nazarbayev, 78, stepped down in March. | The election was called after long-time leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, 78, stepped down in March. |
| His hand-picked successor, interim President Kassym Jomart-Tokayev, is widely expected to win the vote. | His hand-picked successor, interim President Kassym Jomart-Tokayev, is widely expected to win the vote. |
| Protesters and opposition candidates claimed Sunday's poll was not free and fair. | Protesters and opposition candidates claimed Sunday's poll was not free and fair. |
| Mr Tokayev, 66, disputes their claims and has described the process as democratic and open. | Mr Tokayev, 66, disputes their claims and has described the process as democratic and open. |
| Large-scale protests - the biggest the country has seen in years - against the election have been reported in Kazakhstan's capital, Nur-Sultan, and its largest city Almaty. | Large-scale protests - the biggest the country has seen in years - against the election have been reported in Kazakhstan's capital, Nur-Sultan, and its largest city Almaty. |
| At those protests, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators calling for a boycott of the vote, and several journalists and activists monitoring them, were detained by police. | At those protests, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators calling for a boycott of the vote, and several journalists and activists monitoring them, were detained by police. |
| Kazakhstan's deputy interior minister Marat Kozhayev said 500 people had been arrested at "unsanctioned rallies", AFP news agency reports. | |
| A BBC correspondent in Nur-Sultan has seen people being dragged onto buses by riot police. | A BBC correspondent in Nur-Sultan has seen people being dragged onto buses by riot police. |
| Mr Tokayev, who cast his ballot in the capital, has urged police to exercise restraint. He told the BBC his government would be tolerant towards those with different views. | Mr Tokayev, who cast his ballot in the capital, has urged police to exercise restraint. He told the BBC his government would be tolerant towards those with different views. |
| Why are there protests? | Why are there protests? |
| Mukhtar Ablyazov, leader of banned opposition group the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, urged his supporters to take to the streets in protest over Sunday's vote. | Mukhtar Ablyazov, leader of banned opposition group the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, urged his supporters to take to the streets in protest over Sunday's vote. |
| Believing the vote to be a sham with a predetermined outcome, the fugitive banker had called for peaceful protests in cities across the country on Sunday and Monday. | Believing the vote to be a sham with a predetermined outcome, the fugitive banker had called for peaceful protests in cities across the country on Sunday and Monday. |
| In a video posted to social media, he said "thousands of protesters" had gathered in Almaty's Astana Square. | In a video posted to social media, he said "thousands of protesters" had gathered in Almaty's Astana Square. |
| Demonstrators chanted "boycott" and "police with the people" before their protests were broken up by authorities. | Demonstrators chanted "boycott" and "police with the people" before their protests were broken up by authorities. |
| The prospect of a democratic handover of power in Kazakhstan is "an illusion", Human Rights Watch has said. | The prospect of a democratic handover of power in Kazakhstan is "an illusion", Human Rights Watch has said. |
| The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which sent more than 300 observers to monitor the poll, has never recognised an election in the country as fully democratic. | The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which sent more than 300 observers to monitor the poll, has never recognised an election in the country as fully democratic. |
| Aslan Sagutdinov, who was arrested last month for holding up a blank placard at a protest, told AFP that he did not intend to vote in the poll. | |
| "If you vote in unfair elections you are allowing them to say they are fair," the video blogger, from north-western town of Uralsk, said. | "If you vote in unfair elections you are allowing them to say they are fair," the video blogger, from north-western town of Uralsk, said. |
| Mr Tokayev was running for the ruling party - with backing from Mr Nazarbayev - against six little-known rivals. | Mr Tokayev was running for the ruling party - with backing from Mr Nazarbayev - against six little-known rivals. |
| What is the background? | What is the background? |
| In March, Mr Nazarbayev, the only man to lead the country since it emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, shocked the country by announcing his resignation. | In March, Mr Nazarbayev, the only man to lead the country since it emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, shocked the country by announcing his resignation. |
| Mr Nazarbayev said he wanted to pave the way for "a new generation of leaders", but is still expected to retain much of his influence as head of the governing party. | Mr Nazarbayev said he wanted to pave the way for "a new generation of leaders", but is still expected to retain much of his influence as head of the governing party. |
| He has been largely unchallenged as leader of the oil-rich nation since 1989. | He has been largely unchallenged as leader of the oil-rich nation since 1989. |
| Mr Tokayev, a career diplomat and Mr Nazarbayev's heir apparent, became the new interim president. | Mr Tokayev, a career diplomat and Mr Nazarbayev's heir apparent, became the new interim president. |
| Given his close links to the outgoing president, the legitimacy of the presidential election has been met with scepticism. | Given his close links to the outgoing president, the legitimacy of the presidential election has been met with scepticism. |
| Mr Tokayev's first decision as interim president was to rename the capital Astana as Nur-Sultan in homage to Mr Nazarbayev. | Mr Tokayev's first decision as interim president was to rename the capital Astana as Nur-Sultan in homage to Mr Nazarbayev. |
| That decision, which went ahead without public consultation, fuelled disillusionment with Kazakhstan's government. | That decision, which went ahead without public consultation, fuelled disillusionment with Kazakhstan's government. |
| In the build-up to the election, authorities have reportedly been cracking down on opposition to Mr Tokayev's interim presidency. | In the build-up to the election, authorities have reportedly been cracking down on opposition to Mr Tokayev's interim presidency. |
| Protesters have been sentenced to short stays in jail and police have been raiding activists' homes, according to AFP. | Protesters have been sentenced to short stays in jail and police have been raiding activists' homes, according to AFP. |