The President of Kazakhstan asked the demonstrators “not to follow the calls of destructive persons”
Photo: Evgeny Biyatov / RIA Novosti
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev addressed the participants of the “gas” protests in the country. His statement was posted on the Kazakh leader's official Twitter page.
He said that the government had decided to reduce the price of liquefied gas in the Mangistau region to 50 tenge per liter (8.5 rubles), and asked the demonstrators “not to follow the calls of destructive persons interested in undermining the stability and unity of society.”
Tokayev promised to consider other requirements of a socio-economic nature separately, in particular, during a workshop on January 5.
On January 2, in the Mangistau region of Kazakhstan, motorists began to protest against the rise in gas prices for cars. They demanded to reduce the cost of liquefied fuel, which rose sharply from 60 to 120 tenge (from 10.1 to 20.3 rubles) per liter. In some cities, protesters also called on the first president of the republic, Nursultan Nazarbayev, to withdraw from politics, and in Aktau they threatened to “stand until Tokayev arrives.”
