ASTANA, Jan 19 — Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dissolved the Central Asian country’s lower house of parliament today and set an early election for March 19, his office said.

The announcement comes a year after Kazakhstan descended into chaos with deadly riots that killed 238 people in January 2022.

"On January, 2023 the head of state by decree dissolved the Majilis of Kazakhstan’s parliament,” the presidency’s press service said in a statement.

The statement added that he scheduled a snap parliamentary election for March 19.

He also dissolved the vast country’s local legislatures.

The move is in line with a 2022 constitutional reform after three decades of Tokayev’s predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev in power.

The octogenarian strongman resigned in 2019.

In a message to Kazakhs published released by the presidency, Tokayev said he hoped the snap elections "will give new impetus to the modernisation” of the ex-Soviet country rich in natural resources.

Tokayev was re-elected in November, winning 80 percent of the votes after an election criticised for its lack of competition.

During his campaign, he promised to create a "New Kazakhstan” that he said would be fairer.

Tokayev has also promised to reform "all the main institutions of power.”

But economic difficulties and authoritarian tendencies have remained under his leadership. — AFP