NUR-SULTAN, January 28. /TASS/. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that the solidarity of Kazakhstan’s people had prevented the destruction of statehood amid the riots that erupted in January, the presidential press service stated on Friday following the leader’s speech at the congress of the Nur Otan ruling party.
"In the first days of January, Kazakhstan went through a severe shock. We faced a carefully plotted attack aimed at undermining the constitutional order, the foundations of the state, the country’s integrity, the unity of the people and, finally, seizing power," the head of state noted.
"Thanks to the unity, solidarity, courage and consciousness of our citizens, we managed to prevent the destruction of our statehood and avoid even more bloodshed," Tokayev emphasized.
The president believes that the January upheavals were triggered by systemic corruption. "Nur Otan needs to be at the forefront of the ruthless fight against corruption <…>, put forward some useful initiatives relating to this serious challenge. It is no secret that systemic corruption triggered the mass riots in January," the Kazakh leader said.
Tokayev pointed out that the tragic events of January demonstrated a serious lack of the socio-economic adaptation of young people. "The local executive bodies, as well as the state administration system, are to blame for this," the president insisted.
Protests erupted in several Kazakh cities on January 2, escalating into mass riots with government buildings ransacked in several cities a few days later. By January 7, the situation was stabilized; on January 19, the state of emergency was lifted across the country. As a result of the tragedy, some 225 people died, while more than 4,500 received injuries.