Protests in Kazakhstan began due to the rise in the price of liquefied gas: since the new year, prices have more than doubled at once - from 50 tenge to 120 per 1 liter. First of all, it hit the motorists. They are the main consumers of liquefied gas in Kazakhstan. There, almost every tenth car is fueled not with gasoline, but with gas. And almost all of these cars are concentrated in the west of the country, including in the Mangistau region, whose disgruntled residents were the first to take to the streets.
The Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan said that prices were increased by force: consumption is growing every year, but there is no production capacity. The rise in fuel prices led to a rise in prices for other goods. President Tokayev instructed the government to urgently sort it out. A special commission arrived in the region, met with the protesters and announced that gas prices in the Mangistau region will return to their previous level. But the geography of street unrest has expanded: Aktobe, Nur-Sultan. Probably, the forces interested in destabilizing the country have become more active. In Almaty, street protests turned into street riots. Clashes with police started, police cars were on fire. Nearly four dozen company cars were damaged. Eyewitnesses said that sticks and fittings appeared in the hands of the demonstrators. Law enforcement officers responded with tear gas and stun grenades. More than 200 people were detained for participating in the riots.
The president addressed the protesters. He spoke Kazakh and Russian.
“Show prudence and do not succumb to provocations from within and from without, the euphoria of rallies and permissiveness. Calls to attack civilian and military offices are completely illegal. This is a crime that can be punished. Power will not fall. But we do not need conflict, but mutual trust and dialogue. I appeal to youth. Do not spoil your life paths, do not poison the lives of loved ones. All legal requests and requirements from your side will be carefully considered, appropriate decisions will be made. Now your well-being and the place of our country in the modern world are at stake,"Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
Soon after the appeal, Tokayev introduced a state of emergency in Alma-Ata and the Mangistau region for two weeks. He previously accepted the government’s resignation amid street protests that swept across several cities. You can not be on the street from 11 pm to 7 am, mass events are prohibited, the movement of vehicles is limited, as well as entry and exit to these regions, the sale of alcohol is suspended. At the same time, despite the curfew, the Almaty airport operates as usual: planes fly to and from Russia on schedule.
Early in the morning, the president accepted the resignation of the government. First Deputy Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov has been appointed acting prime minister. The rest of the members of the Cabinet of Ministers will continue to perform their duties until a new composition is formed.
The head of state held an emergency meeting on the socio-economic situation in the country, at which he said that the government was especially to blame for the protests. Tokayev, in particular, instructed to introduce state regulation of prices for liquefied gas, gasoline and diesel for six months. And the Prosecutor General's Office was instructed to investigate whether there was a price conspiracy around the gas.
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