Political crisis in Kazakhstan. The president sacked his government on Wednesday (January 5) in response to demonstrations against rising gas prices that agitated an oil-rich province in the central Asian country. A decree published on the presidential website indicates that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has accepted the resignation of the government headed by Prime Minister Askar Mamin. Deputy Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov will assume the role of Acting Prime Minister until a new cabinet is formed.
The president asked for help from Moscow and its allies, attributing to “terrorists” led to riots abroad which saw crowds storm government buildings. At least eight members of the security forces and soldiers were killed in the riots, and 317 were injured, according to the Kazakh interior ministry quoted by local media. “by the raging crowd”.
Moscow and its Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) allies will send “peacekeeping forces” in the country, replied the president of this military alliance.
The day before, Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev had declared a state of emergency, from January 5 until January 19, in this oil-producing region of Mangystau and in Almaty, the economic capital, in the south-east of the country. A curfew will be in place from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. local time. “Do not respond to provocations from abroad and from within the country. Do not respond to calls to storm official buildings. It is a crime for which you would be punished.”, said the 68-year-old head of state, who has governed the country since 2019.
Police used stun grenades and tear gas in Almaty on Tuesday to disperse a demonstration against rising gas prices that had brought together several thousand people, to cries of “the old man out!” and “resignation of the government!”. Tokayev was chosen as successor by the historic leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, 81, who ruled Kazakhstan for 30 years from 1989 and retains influence. Police reported more than 200 arrests and dozens of its officers injured.
This demonstration, in an authoritarian country where this type of gathering is rare, follows a movement of anger that has erupted in several cities since Sunday. Khazakstan, Central Asia’s largest economy accustomed in the past to double-digit growth rates, is suffering from falling oil prices and the economic crisis in Russia, which has led to the devaluation of the Kazakh tenge and a strong inflation.
The resignation of the government did not calm the demonstrators. Wednesday a group entered Wednesday in the main administration building in Almaty, the economic capital of Kazakhstan. The police fired stun grenades and used tear gas against the crowd of several thousand people without being able to prevent them from entering the building, according to an AFP journalist. Protesters recovered police batons and shields.