Kazakhstan's President and presidential candidate Nursultan Nazarbayev applauds as he attends a session of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan in Astana April 23, 2015. REUTERS/Mukhtar Kholdorbekov
ASTANA (Reuters) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was set to renew his 26-year grip on power on Sunday, offering the multi-ethnic Central Asian state economic and social stability in return for what rights groups call systematic suppression of opposition.
Nazarbayev, 74, officially titled "Leader of the Nation", called presidential elections more than a year early in a move that could quash any speculation about a successor. He faces no real challenge from the other contenders, a low-profile Communist Party functionary and a loyal ex-regional governor.
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