Partial results from parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan Sunday showed authoritarian President Nursultan Nazarbayev's Oltan party was on course for a clear victory despite reports of low voter turnout. Results from new electronic voting systems in place in a number of polling stations showed that the Oltan party had gained 40 per cent of the vote, according to the country's electoral commission. Asar, a government-loyal party founded by Nazarbayev's daughter Dariga, had secured around 19 per cent of the vote while opposition party Ak Schol (Bright Path) was close behind with 17 per cent. The election was, however, characterised by low voter turnout, with just 46.8 per cent of voters having cast their ballot by close of polls, reports said. In areas with the new electronic voting system, the turnout was as low as one in six. Observers said the unfamiliar system, introduced to counter allegations of electoral manipulation, may have put some people off. Around half of the country's constituencies may have to hold a second ballot as no candidates received the absolute majority required by Kazakh electoral law, said electoral commission head Zagipa Baliyeva. --More 2145 Local Time 1845 GMT
