On January 5, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev approved the document to declare a state of emergency in Mangistau Region and the southern capital – Almaty, the press office of the President of Kazakhstan reported to CentralAsia.news.
The document states that a state of emergency is declared in Mangistau Region and Almaty from 01:30 am on January 5 until 00:00 on January 19 to prevent further escalation of the public situation, ensure the safety of citizens, the rule of law and order and protect the rights and freedoms of citizens.
In his video address to the people of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev said he very much hopes that the protestors will show prudence. The President urged not to succumb to provocations from within and from without, to the euphoria of rallies and permissiveness.
In accordance with the instructions of the President, a special government group began to work in the region on Tuesday.
The protests erupted over the unexpected rise in prices for liquefied gas that many car owners use to power their cars. Minister of Energy Magzum Mirzagaliyev noted that there were reasons to say gas station owners in the region could have entered into commercial collusion.
