Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has had a widely expected crushing election victory, with early results showing he has won 97.7% of the vote.

The country"s Central Election Commission said that there had been a record turnout of 95.11% for the poll.

The result, giving 74-year-old Mr Nazarbayev a fifth consecutive five-year term, had never been in doubt.

The president has promised economic and social stability in the oil-rich Central Asian state.Mr Nazarbayev cast his ballot to loud cheering in the capital Astana, saying he was sure that the people of Kazakhstan would support his campaign.

He ran virtually unopposed as his two opponents were both seen as pro-government.

Human rights groups accuse the authorities of systematically repressing the opposition.