Sunday January 10, 10:38 pm Eastern Time
Kazakhstan-Result Astana

Commission head Zagipa Baliyeva told reporters that preliminary figures put Nazarbayev well ahead of his closest rival.

Communist Party leader Serikbolsyn Abdildin was second with 13.5 percent of the vote in Sunday's ballot. Gani Kasymov, head of the State Customs Committee, won 4.3 percent and Senator Engel Gabbasov had 0.7 percent.

Nazarbayev, 58, who has led the potentially oil-rich nation since Soviet times, was criticised by Western human rights groups and the United States over the conduct of the election.

Asked what he thought of allegations that the contest had been unfair, he said: ``I expected this. It is democratic and it is normal. The main question is the will of my people.''