Kazakhstan’s president vows ‘robust’ response to protests

Tokayev says unrest threatens national security in a televised address as concerns mount about reported internet blackout.

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has promised to act “robustly” in response to nationwide protests prompted by a sharp rise in fuel prices, as he took over as head of the country’s Security Council.

Tokayev’s remarks, delivered in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, came as the worst unrest for more than a decade shocked the vast Central Asian nation.

He said there had been casualties among security forces during four days of demonstrations which began at the weekend in the town of Zhanaozen, in the oil-rich western Mangystau region, after price caps on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were lifted.

More than 200 people have been arrested nationwide in connection with the protests, which have since spread to a number of other towns and several cities.

Tokayev said he would not leave the country despite the widespread show of public anger, committing instead to remain in the capital city of Nur-Sultan, where a state of emergency has been declared.

“This is a matter of the security of our state. I am confident the people will support me,” he said, before pledging to come forward with unspecified proposals for the “political transformation” of Kazakhstan in the “near future”.

‘Internet blackout’

A state of emergency has also been declared in the country’s largest city Almaty, where earlier on Wednesday protesters stormed the local mayor’s office and appeared to have seized control of the building.

The developments in Almaty came after Tokayev, who blamed “financially-motivated conspirators” of fomenting the protests, sacked Kazakhstan’s government in an apparent bid to assuage those taking to the streets.

Tokayev also ordered the reinstating of price controls on LPG, and for caps to be applied to petrol, diesel and other “socially important” consumer goods in the former Soviet republic.

Meanwhile, authorities appeared to have shut the internet off as the unrest spread, with connectivity levels plunged to nearly zero across the country, according to global internet monitoring group Netblocks.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/5/kazakhstans-president-vows-robust-response-to-protests