Kazakhstan President Sacks Cabinet, Declares Emergency Amidst Unrest

Following mass protests triggered by a rise in fuel price, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has sacked members of his cabinet and declared a state of emergency in the country’s largest city, Almaty.

Tokayev said on Wednesday that he had accepted the resignation of the cabinet led by Prime Minister Askar Mamin, and ordered the acting cabinet to reinstate price controls on Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG).

This move came after protests triggered by a rise in fuel price spread across Kazakhstan city of Almaty.

An overnight clash between the police and thousands of protesters who had called for the government’s resignation occurred as the protesters attacked vehicles. Police also used tear gas and grenades to stop a crowd of protesters from storming the mayor’s office.

In a bid to stop the unrest, Tokayev on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in Almaty as well as the western Mangistau province.

He further added that the decree would last two weeks as it includes a curfew from 11 pm to 7 am, a ban on mass gatherings and movement restrictions in the region.