Kazakhstan eyes post-riot restoration as situation stabilises

Nur-Sultan, Jan 9 (IANS) Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has urged the restoration of administrative and public facilities in the largest city of Almaty and other regions as chaos caused by days of violent protests is easing.

On Saturday, the President asked the prosecutor general, chairman of the National Security Committee, and acting ministers of internal affairs and defence to continue efforts to pacify the protesters, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) peacekeepers working in the capital city of Nur-Sultan have allowed part of Kazakhstan's law enforcement officers to redeploy to Almaty for the "counter-terrorist operation" there, Tokayev said.

In a phone conversation on Saturday, Tokayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed that leaders of the CSTO member states will hold a videoconference in the next few days to discuss the unrest.

Tokayev informed Putin of the latest developments, noting that the situation is stabilising and also thanked Kazakhstan's partners from the CSTO, particularly Moscow, for their assistance.

The Presidents exchanged opinions on the measures being taken to restore order in Kazakhstan.

Later, Putin spoke to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to discuss the tensions and organising the CSTO summit.

Also on Saturday, Tokayev relieved Azamat Abdymomunov, who was the deputy secretary of Kazakhstan's powerful Security Council.

This came after the President dismissed Karim Masimov, who was chairman of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee, on January 5.

He was detained a day later on suspicion of high treason.

The Commonwealth of Independence States (CIS) Executive Committee said in a statement on Saturday that "the bandits" prepared in advance for the mass demonstrations in order to destabilise the situation in Kazakhstan, and that they had received support from abroad.

The CIS Executive Committee fully supports the measures taken by the leadership of Kazakhstan and the CSTO countries to restore law and order, its Chairman Sergei Lebedev said in the statement.

Violent protests sparked by fuel price hikes have been rocking Kazakhstan for several days, leading to multiple deaths and many injuries.

A total of 4,404 people have been reportedly detained across the country.