Kazakhstan: President Responds to Protests

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan President, declared he will take robust actions in response to a nationwide protest triggered by the rise in fuel prices as he took over as head of the country’s Security Council.

RELATED:

Kazakhstan Organizes Humanitarian Corridor for Afghan Women

Tokayev's statements, televised to the nation, came during the worst disturbances of the decade, which have shaken the Central Asian country. He noted that the disorders represent a threat to national security; he also pointed out that casualties among security forces occurred during the four days of a demonstration at Zhanaozen, which started on a weekend in the oil-rich western Mangystau region, after the lifting of the price caps on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

There have been more than 200 arrests nationwide related to the protests. Tokayev declared he would not leave the country, remaining in the capital city of Nur-Sultan, a region already declared in a state of emergency.

"This is a matter of the security of our state. I am confident the people will support me," he stated. In addition, he pledged unspecified proposals for the "political transformation" of Kazakhstan in the "near future."

The country's largest city, Almaty, was also declared under a state of emergency. Earlier on Wednesday, the local mayor's office was assaulted by the protesters who seemed to control the building.

The Kazak President ordered reinstating LPG price controls and applying tops on petrol, diesel, and other "socially important" consumer goods.