Kazakhstan officials speaking ahead of Sunday's snap election have told The Associated Press that a strong presidential mandate will guarantee the success of their ambitious reform agenda.
Prime Minister Karim Masimov said late Friday that widescale reforms would be needed to ensure sustainable growth and increase average earning standards across the ex-Soviet nation.
A senior adviser to incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev also says moves are planned to boost the role of parliament and improve media freedoms.
Nazarbayev is expected to claim some 90 percent of the vote in an election that has already been described by international observers as lacking fairness.
Authorities insist the election will be the cleanest ever in the nation's history.