(FT) The government of Kazakhstan resigned on Wednesday after protesters marched in cities declaiming against high fuel prices despite the country ranking as the world’s largest uranium producer.
An economic strain brought by the Covid-19 pandemic has been blamed for the sharp rise in motor fuel prices, which pushed the cost of basic commodities up.
The ongoing demonstrations happen despite Kazakhstan being a tightly-controlled country, posing a challenge to president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The government resignation follows a state of emergency, which was announced late Tuesday in the western region of Mangystau and the city of Almaty, lasting up to January 19.
The government promised to lower the fuel prices, but this was not enough to stop the declaimants who also demanded a political change.
The protesters also demanded an improved quality of life and a resignation of the “Leader of the Nation,” Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Kazakhstan produced 41% of the world’s uranium in 2020, the largest, followed by Australia and Canada at 13% and 8%, respectively.
