id: 86646
date: 11/22/2006 5:16
refid: 06DUSHANBE2111
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO5908
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #2111/01 3260516
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220516Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9099
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1890
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1868
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1807
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1916
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1880
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1907
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1562
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1578
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1766
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1849
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1381
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 1133
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0594
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 002111
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, TI
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT RAHMONOV CELEBRATES THIRD TERM WITH PRECIOUS
JEWELS AND A NEW BENTLEY
DUSHANBE 00002111 001.2 OF 002
1. SUMMARY: President Rahmonov was sworn in to his third
term
on November 18, a warm sun-filled day.
The festivities were low
key, but expensive, filled with precious jewels, flag waving
patriots, a military parade, and one shiny new car. Embassy
sources estimate inauguration costs amount from $500,000 to $1
million, not including the (re)construction of two new grand
halls where the swearing in ceremony and celebratory feast took
place. Security leading up to the
day was tight and Rahmonov
encouraged Tajiks to celebrate it as a holiday. END SUMMARY.
2. The official swearing in
ceremony, conducted at a newly
constructed «Somoni Hall» at the State Dacha lasted
approximately one hour on November 18.
More than 1500 officials
including parliamentarians, region and district chairmen, and
prominent public figures packed into the hall to watch Chairman
of the Central Commission on Elections and Referenda hand
President Rahmonov his official certificate and watch him take
the oath of office.
3. Prior to the swearing in, the
Chief of the Constitutional
Court hung the new presidential star fashioned into a necklace
of Tajik precious stones around Rahmonov’s neck. Three soldiers
placed the Tajik Constitution under Rahmonov’s right hand. No
Koran was visible. Prior to the
ceremony the state television
aired a recording of a poem by famous Tajik poet Mr. Bozor
Sobir, who is presently residing in the United States. The poem
stresses that Tajiks have roots to Zoroastrians and more ancient
times pre-dating Islam. The poem’s imagery described Tajiks as
«people who wear white coats and will never change their white
coats to another color,» inferring that Tajik heritage and
history were not fundamentally altered by the adoption of Islam.
Following the oath, the president
kneeled to kiss the hem of
the Tajik flag. His speech
singled out three countries —
Russia, China, and the United States — as special friends of
Tajikistan.
4. The president departed the
Dacha and slowly cruised down
Rudaki Avenue, Dushanbe’s main thoroughfare, in his new,
pristine black Bentley convertible.
A cavalcade of new black
Mercedes escorted the president down the street for half an hour
as television cameras filmed the procession with Rahmonov
waving, Miss America-style, to the thousands of university
students gathered along the street to greet him. Students and
residents lined the streets waving flags and congratulatory
banners. As soon as Rahmonov
passed the students, they were
dismissed and permitted to go home.
5. Crowds also gathered around
Somoni Square in the center of
the city, where Rahmonov gave another speech. Approximately
5,000 military officers marched in formation in front of the
president after swearing an oath of allegiance to him. This is
the first time military personnel were requested to take an oath
of allegiance to the president.
6. Following the ceremonies,
Rahmonov hosted a reception at the
renovated Exhibition Hall, where he was clearly in a festive
mood. The Ambassadors of
Tajikistan’s three «partners» —
Russia, China and the United States — were prominently seated
in a gesture of solidarity, and throughout the reception the
president frequently raised his glass to the three. Rahmonov
gave several impromptu speeches declaring that Tajikistan had
survived the bad times and is moving forward. He emphasized
that inauguration day is a holiday for the people of Tajikistan
and invited his guests to «celebrate like civilized white
people.» (Comment: No
comment.) As the party went on, and on,
the president took to the stage and began to sing. At this
point, the television cameras stopped filming.
7. Security was tight during the
parade, due to the fact that
the country’s president was riding down a main street standing
in an open car. Hundreds of
police were stationed along the
DUSHANBE 00002111 002.2 OF 002
route to deter possible trouble-makers.
Secret service police
tried to confiscate the iPod of a PolOff observing the parade
along Rudaki. In addition, a
local Embassy employee’s relative
who was wearing traditional Tajik clothing was singled out and
frisked by police, even though he did not exhibit any
extraordinary behavior. Residents
along Rudaki were forbidden
from observing the parade on their balconies. Two weeks prior
to the inauguration, Tajik special forces began checking
passports of all residents along Rudaki.
Authorities tried to
close all shops, particularly those that sell cellular phones
along the main street. Despite
the order, some shops were still
open for business.
8. COMMENT: Unlike typical presidential inaugurations in
Central Asia, Rahmonov did not invite foreign dignitaries to his
party. Because of the controversy
surrounding the election —
this being Rahmonov’s third term which some deem
unconstitutional and the OSCE’s initial report saying that the
uncompetitive election was not a true test of democratic process
— it is not surprising that the government would choose to keep
events low-key — or at least as
low key as a new Bentley and
bejeweled necklace would allow.
Rahmonov, ever the populist
politician, emphasized that the inauguration is also an
important part of Tajikistan’s living history and that the
celebration was as much for the Tajik people as it was for him.
END COMMENT.
JACOBSON
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 86736
date: 11/22/2006 14:03
refid: 06DUSHANBE2113
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO6507
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHDBU #2113/01 3261403
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 221403Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9101
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1892
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1870
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1809
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 1135
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1918
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1882
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1759
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1909
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1564
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1580
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1768
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1851
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0599
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 002113
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2016
TAGS: PREL, RS, TI
SUBJECT: WHETHER TO COOPERATE: MIXED SIGNALS FROM THE RUSSIANS IN
DUSHANBE
CLASSIFIED BY: Tracey Jacobson, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy
Dushanbe, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
1. (C) Summary: On September 21 Embassy Dushanbe,
together
with our Russian diplomatic and military colleagues,
commemorated the 1992 evacuation of American diplomats from
Dushanbe at the start of the Tajik civil war. The Russian 201st
Motorized Rifle Division resident in Dushanbe was instrumental
in assisting the evacuation, and as usual our commemoration
included a wreath-laying ceremony at the 201st headquarters.
The Ambassador also hosted a dinner for ranking Russian
diplomats and military commanders.
The Embassy initiated these
events, as we have in the past, in order to emphasize to our
Russian counterparts the value of cooperation on issues of
mutual concern. The morning event
at the 201st was collegial
and even festive, replete with heartfelt vodka toasts. The
Russians used the American hosted dinner however as an
opportunity to send a clear message that cooperation will not
extend beyond a shared shot of vodka (or two, or a dozen). End
summary.
2. (C) In October 1992, the Department ordered the
evacuation
of the newly established embassy in Dushanbe due to the
worsening security situation caused by the civil war. The
Russian 201st Motorized Rifle Division — now the 201st Military
Base — assisted the Embassy with the evacuation. Several years
ago, the Embassy began commemorating the anniversary by thanking
the Russian 201st command, laying a wreath at the 201st
headquarters and hosting a dinner for senior Russian officials
in country. For this year’s
event, we worked for nearly a month
to find a date which worked for the Russian Ambassador, Defense
Attache and 201st Commander. We
accommodated the Russian
calendars by postponing the event until November 21.
3. (C) The wreath-laying ceremony proceeded
according to
script. Even the weather
cooperated, with the first snowfall of
the season to mark the somber occasion.
The wintry conditions
also contributed to the Russians’ already marked enthusiasm to
turn the morning ceremony into an occasion for vodka drinking.
Participating Embassy staff lost track of the exact count, but
the many heartfelt toasts offered by both Americans and Russians
were offered in a genuine spirit of cooperation.
4. (C) At the dinner later that evening, the
Russians sent us
a very different message. Three
days prior, at President
Rahmonov’s inauguration, Russian Ambassador Ramazan Abdulatipov
informed the Ambassador that he would not be able to attend her
dinner on the 21st. He explained
he had been called to Moscow
for business, but his DCM would plan to attend. At the morning
wreath-laying ceremony, Russian DCM Vyacheslav Svetlichny
informed the Ambassador that he also had a scheduling conflict.
He did not offer to send any other diplomats in his place, and
no Russian civilians attended. At
the dinner, Russian Defense
Attache Colonel Yuri Ivanov took two calls on his mobile phone
and excused himself after the first course, promising to return
after 10 minutes. He did not
return. Of the 201st command
staff, only two of the four invited officers showed up,
including 201st Commander Colonel Alexei Zavizyan. Zavizyan’s
behavior was mildly rude throughout the evening but deteriorated
rapidly after Colonel Ivanov’s departure. Zavizyan chastised
the Ambassador’s household staff and made a series of sexist
remarks. The dinner ended
abruptly after he sunk to uttering
ugly racist slurs about African Americans.
5. (C) Comment:
The Russians poor attendance at the dinner
was no accident. We worked
closely with the Russian Embassy for
more than a month to pin down dates and an invitation list for
their participation. It is also
clear that Zavizyan’s
DUSHANBE 00002113 002 OF 002
incredibly rude behavior was no accident, nor would we attribute
it to vodka consumption. Our
Russian guests made it very clear
that while they will share the occasional toast with us, they do
not consider us friends here in Tajikistan and will make it
difficult to cooperate on issues of mutual concern. While we
have faced intransigence from the Russian military and security
elements here in the past, typically the Russian diplomats step
in to smooth the edges. On this
occasion, the Russian embassy
did little to facilitate the events and absented themselves to
avoid complicity with their military colleagues at the dinner.
We plan to continue to take the high road, proposing areas for
cooperation where it’s in our mutual interest. But we won’t be
inviting the Russian military to dinner any time soon.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 87252
date: 11/28/2006 11:56
refid: 06DUSHANBE2147
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 06DUSHANBE2033|06DUSHANBE2147
header:
VZCZCXRO0084
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHDBU #2147/01 3321156
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 281156Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9139
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1894
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1872
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1811
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1920
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1884
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1761
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1911
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1566
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1582
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1383
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1853
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 1137
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0637
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 002147
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, TI
SUBJECT: DEMONSTRATORS CHARGE ILLEGAL DETENTION AND VIOLATION OF
RIGHTS
REF: DUSHANBE 2033
CLASSIFIED BY: Tracey Jacobson, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy
Dushanbe, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY:
Three Democratic Party of Tajikistan members
were released November 19 after serving 15 days in prison for
organizing a demonstration.
Khairiddin Gulyaev and Temur Toshev
(also known as Temur Iskandarov), two of the imprisoned members,
met with Poloff November 22 to assert their innocence and relay
the illegal nature of their detention.
Both men were denied a
fair trial and insist their arrests were politically motivated.
Their actions represent an unusual act of political defiance for
Tajikistan but do not likely represent a new trend of activism,
in a country where most citizens prefer to keep their heads
down, and demonstrations are still linked in the public
consciousness with the onset of the civil war. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) On November 4 the DPT’s Dushanbe branch
officials
decided to hold a small demonstration with placards and signs in
front of the Ministry of Justice (reftel). The members
consulted with Rahmatullo Zoyirov, one of Tajikistan’s
preeminent lawyers and also the chairman of the Social
Democratic Party of Tajikistan (SDPT), prior to the
demonstration. Zoyirov advised
the group that it would not be
illegal for them to «picket» in front of the Ministry of
Justice-that if they did so, they would not be
«demonstrating.»
If others so happen to join then, so be it. Unfortunately, for
the DPT members, Zoyirov’s interpretation of the law failed
them.
3. (C) As Gulyaev explained to PolOff, the
demonstrators were
barely able to climb out of the car in front of the Ministry of
Justice when police rushed to
apprehend them. The
demonstration was stopped before it could even begin. Within
one hour, authorities arrested DPT members, Rajabi Mirzo,
Khairiddin Gulyaev and Temur Toshev who is the brother of
imprisoned DPT chairman, Mahmadruzi Iskandarov. Because of this
swift action, Gulyaev believes the Ministry of Security had
bugged DPT members’ phones. Only
a few select people knew about
the demonstration ahead of time, including some members from the
SDPT and the unregistered faction of the Socialist Party of
Tajikistan. A total of 15-16
others who were prepared to take
part in the demonstration were not arrested or questioned by the
police. These three DPT leaders
were targeted.
4. (SBU) According to Temur Toshev, he did not even
participate in the demonstration; he simply gave other DPT
members a ride to the Ministry of Justice. He departed the
scene and had no intention of participating in the
demonstration. Within one hour,
authorities later called him in
for questioning and led him to believe they were out to charge
him with a lesser crime of traffic violations.
5. (C) The process by which the three men were
arrested, tried
and sentenced violated their legal rights. Within a span of
five hours, the members were arrested, taken into the police
station, interrogated, brought to trial in front of a judge, and
sentenced to 15 days in prison.
They did not have access to a
lawyer. Gulyaev and Toshev told
PolOff they believed the trial
in front of the judge was a sham.
There were only a handful of
people in the room during the trial: the judge, the defendant,
and a Ministry of Interior official.
Toshev did not clearly
understand the charges being brought against him until it was
too late, as he understood he was being brought in on charges of
traffic violations. Gulyaev and
Toshev told PolOff that they
were not mistreated or tortured while in prison. (Note: The
third DPT member, Rajabi Mirzo, has been out of town and did not
DUSHANBE 00002147 002 OF 002
meet with PolOff.)
6. (SBU) The official charge against the three men was
«demonstrating without a permit.» Demonstrations are illegal in
Tajikistan without prior permission from the government. During
the past year, other political groups have attempted to organize
passive demonstrations, even ones regarding issues unrelated to
the Tajik government, but were turned down. Deputy DPT Chairman
Rahmatullo Valiev, knowing the ramifications of the
demonstration, was against the idea, but could not discourage
the group. Police also accused
the members of intending to
«inflame the people» and cause a high profile incident before
the election in order to embarrass Rahmonov in the international
arena. The Democratic Party
members denied these charges and
argued they were simply protesting the Ministry of Justice’s
corrupt decision to register the Vatan faction as the official
Democratic Party of Tajikistan.
7. (C) COMMENT:
The detainees’ story differs significantly
from other accounts of the demonstration. Some observers claim
that the demonstrators managed to unfurl a banner at the
Ministry of Justice before being detained. Although the men may
have been guilty of demonstrating without a permit under Tajik
law, they were not afforded a fair trial and were denied basic
civil rights. The police moved in
to arrest the men because
they may have believed that even a small demonstration could
incite violence and did not want to allow that possibility right
before the November 6 election.
8. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: The demonstration was an
unusual act
of defiance from normally passive Tajiks, who rarely confront
their government or publicly complain about injustice. However,
this small gesture landed the DPT members where most would have
predicted: in jail, with little public sympathy or support. The
government employs rule by law, not rule of law, to forbid
demonstrations, squash dissent and restrict freedom of speech.
These arrests demonstrate that criticism of the government will
not be tolerated in Tajikistan and citizens will be even less
likely to raise public complaints in the future. END COMMENT.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 87365
date: 11/29/2006 5:53
refid: 06DUSHANBE2149
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO0906
PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #2149/01 3330553
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 290553Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9144
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1886
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1922
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1913
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0642
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 002149
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, KHUM, KDEM, ENRG, TI
SUBJECT: IN TAJIKISTAN’S WINDY CITY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT WELCOMES NGO
WORK
DUSHANBE 00002149 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) SUMMARY: Whether building bridges, running an internet
access center, or publishing youth newspapers, international and
local NGOs operate effectively and with few bureaucratic
barriers in the city and district of Faisobod. District
Chairman Ismatullo Zaidov was quick to praise NGO contributions,
and noted the «excellent» working relationship his
administration maintains with local and Dushanbe-based
organizations. Zaidov and others
called for help investing in
small-scale food processing operations to provide employment,
increase trade and avoid wasting Faisobod’s fruit and vegetable
bounty. The agriculture-based
district’s single industrial
enterprise is a small Soviet-built cannery, which operated for
only two months this summer due to a nationwide shortage of
glass jars and sits idle now because of a lack of electricity.
Zaidov made a special push for increased exchanges and English
language instruction, noting the disadvantage Tajiks face by not
knowing English. Faisobod’s
residents and government seemed
positive about the future, despite a lack of economic
development and a crumbling infrastructure. END SUMMARY
2. (SBU) During a November 24
visit, Zaidov told EmbOffs the
district had a strong record of cooperation between his
«hukumat» (local government) and the local NGO community. Local
NGOs set up small knitting and sewing workshops and formed local
youth groups. International NGOs
such as the U.S.-based IREX,
Aga Khan Foundation, CESVI (an Italian organization), Open
Society Institute, Relief International, and Counterpart
conducted a range of civil society, education, health and
construction projects. Zaidov had
no complaints about any of
their projects, and seemed unaware of issues of registration and
reporting in Dushanbe.
3. (U) As in most of Tajikistan,
conditions are basic.
Electricity is severely rationed from November to March, with
three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening.
Homes, schools, and offices rely on outdoor latrines, which at
40 degrees in windy conditions, made for a very cold bathroom
break during the visit. Most
families have at least one male
member working in Russia, sometimes more, leaving women to raise
and sometimes support the family.
Faisobod lies at the
southwestern end of the Rasht valley, on the road to Kyrgyzstan,
but sees little transit traffic and practically no trade with
its northern neighbor due to poor road conditions and lack of
established markets.
4. (U) Faisobod produces tons of
organic apples, pears,
tomatoes and potatoes, but has extremely limited processing
facilities to maximize profits and package the produce for
markets further than Dushanbe and Khujand. Some residents
estimated that 25 percent of the harvest goes to waste. The
single canning factory used to have the capacity to produce up
to 3.5 million jars of preserves, but last summer turned out
only 80,000, when Tajikistan’s only glass factory in the
northern city of Khujand was unable to provide it with
containers. A poultry farm down
the road offered only limited
employment opportunities.
5. (SBU) However, Zaidov noted
the great improvements in the
standard of living in Faisobod and offered some pointed
suggestions for development projects.
«We now have imported
candies!» he gestured to a dish.
As long as economic assistance
continued, the standard would continue to rise, but they needed
food processing facilities for employment. «We could use small
wind-power stations,» he said, noting Faisobod’s well-deserved
reputation for being one of the windiest spots in Tajikistan.
(COMMENT: Based on conditions during the visit, we concur. END
COMMENT.) «We need better
English teachers, too.» Zaidov
praised the benefits of international exchanges, noting how it
allowed participants access to information and experiences they
could not get in Tajikistan.
6. (SBU) Local NGO heads echoed Zaidov’s
point about their
strong working relationship with the district administration.
The Hukumat staff member sitting in on one meeting may have
subtly reminded them about the importance of that dynamic, but
even in one-on-one conversations, the NGOs felt the Hukumat
supported their work. NGO Shohin
displayed several colorful
editions of its children’s newspaper «Parvin,» with a
circulation of over 2600 copies every two weeks, might rank as
one of Tajikistan’s most widely read papers. NGO Jasorat
established a legal advocacy center for women to help the
growing number of female heads of households. Civil society and
health projects from the U.S.-funded IREX and Strav-plus
supported the local NGO Faizbaiksh to help set up knitting
DUSHANBE 00002149 002.2 OF 002
workshops and conduct seminars on human rights, and improve
drinking water quality. NGO
Binokor worked closely with IREX
and CEVSI to improve drinking water and build small bridges on
mountain roads.
7. (SBU) EmbOffs stopped by the
Relief International-run
Schools On-Line center, housed in School 35. Due to a poor
connection, the center had not had Internet for two days. «It’s
always slow connection,» said the new director, on the job only
two weeks. The Hukumat
representative noted the center was the
only place in Faisobod with open internet access, and the
schedule was always full with students and residents. Despite
being hooked into the «clean» government power line, the
school
did not have electricity when we visited. A generator sat in
the corner.
8. (SBU) COMMENT: Far from the bureaucratic and political
struggles facing some international organizations in Dushanbe,
NGOs in Faisobod seem to operate freely and effectively, limited
only by the finite amount of donor money. Due to a lack of
electricity and a lack of markets and transport networks, it’s
unlikely any food processing facilities will be built until an
investor feels the infrastructure can truly support a small
enterprise. The productive
operating environment for NGOs and
the strong push by local authorities for English language
instruction reinforce Post’s convictions that a Peace Corps
program would be highly effective in Tajikistan. END COMMENT.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 87427
date: 11/29/2006 12:42
refid: 06DUSHANBE2153
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 06DUSHANBE2153
header:
VZCZCXRO1285
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHDBU #2153/01 3331242
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 291242Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9152
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1899
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1874
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1915
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1924
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1568
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1813
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1763
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1584
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1855
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0650
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 002153
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2016
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, SNAR, TI, AF
SUBJECT: VISIT TO TAJIK BORDER GUARD TRAINING CENTER
CLASSIFIED BY: Tracey Jacobson, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy
Dushanbe, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
1. (SBU) Summary: A Russian-run
training facility for Tajik
troops has some modern conveniences, but the training program
relies on Soviet educational methods to teach under-educated
Border Guards the basics. PolOff
and Office of Defense
Cooperation (ODC) representative visited the Leninsky Training
Center in Dushanbe November 20 to see where the Russian military
trains the Tajik border guards.
Posters of President Rahmonov
and Border Guards head General Zuhurov decorated the facility,
as well as propaganda pictures and monuments commemorating
Soviet World War II battle victories.
New recruits marched and
drilled, and the classrooms had chairs that Tajik children would
have a hard time fitting into.
This Soviet-style facility
provides acceptable living conditions with working heat and
electricity, but the fact that new recruits fire only nine shots
over a 40-day training period suggests larger funding shortages
and a weak curriculum. End
Summary.
2. (SBU) The Leninsky facility
trains approximately 2000 new
Border Guards each year, a spring and a fall class of 1000
soldiers each. Basic training is
also conducted in other Tajik
provinces. The entire fall class appeared to be in their late
teens. During the visit, they
marched in formation, exercised,
and listened to lectures in the classroom. Approximately 250
Russian and Tajik enlisted soldiers and officers staff the base.
Tajik officers taught all of the
classes we observed in the
Tajik language. According the
staff, Tajik officers taught most
of the basic courses, while Russian officers developed the
curriculum and advised as necessary.
The new recruits wore
new-looking military uniforms; ODC rep advised some of them were
U.S.-issued. Each soldier has a
two-year service commitment.
3. (SBU) The training cycle for a new recruit lasts
approximately 40 days, during which soldiers are taught basic
military discipline. Although
shooting is an important part of
their work, the base commander reported that each recruit fires
a total of nine shots during the 40-day training cycle. After
graduation from this course, recruits are directed to a border
detachment for additional training, before deployment to a Tajik
border post. There is a separate
six-month training course for
warrant officers.
4. (SBU) Course instructors utilized Soviet-style
practices,
with Tajik officers delivering lectures to the new recruits. In
one classroom, an officer described the various parts of a
disassembled weapon to the class.
After the lecture, he held up
one particular part of the weapon, and instructed them to repeat
the name of that particular part.
Some classrooms contained
chairs, and in others soldiers sat on desks. Those classrooms
which were fully furnished included chairs more suitable for
children at a grade school.
5. (SBU) Officers and recruits had access to a variety
of
recreational options, including a well-kept soccer field, a
church and a mosque. Pictures of
General Zuhurov, Chairman of
the State Committee for Border Protection, and President
Rahmonov decorated the base, along with military propaganda
pictures commemorating Soviet World War II battle victories. A
war museum contained additional Soviet military propaganda
posters and a wall honoring the 54 Tajiks who received the «Hero
of the Soviet Union» award during World War II. At the base’s
medical clinic, technicians regularly conduct HIV and TB
screening for all incoming recruits.
When queried, one medical
specialist stated that they never found a positive case of
either disease. The sleeping
quarters were adequate, with heat
and electricity, and pillows and blankets for all soldiers. The
base also had a library, which featured Tajik and Russian books;
the newsroom offered Russian newspapers dating from 1991 to 2005.
6. (C) Comment: The visit caused
some initial confusion, since
the post commander had not been notified. Although the visit
DUSHANBE 00002153 002 OF 002
had been approved by General Zuhurov himself, and Russian
Colonel Yuri Davedyan, approval failed to trickle down the chain
of command. The fact that new
recruits only fire nine bullets
over a 40-day period demonstrates an alarming lack of
preparedness for actual combat.
The base commander stated that
they receive further training following deployment to their
border posts, but given the conditions at recently visited posts
(reftels), it seems unlikely that more range practice awaited.
Post was pleased to see that CENTCOM-issued military clothing is
starting to be distributed to Tajik border guards. END COMMENT.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 87936
date: 12/4/2006 5:50
refid: 06DUSHANBE2169
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination: 06DUSHANBE2169
header:
VZCZCXRO4948
OO RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #2169/01 3380550
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 040550Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9183
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1888
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1917
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1926
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0683
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 002169
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ECON, ETRD, EAID, EAIR, ENRG, KDEM, PHUM, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: RAHMONOV RESTRUCTURES GOVERNMENT AND STARTS
NAMING NEW CABINET
DUSHANBE 00002169 001.2 OF 002
1. President Emomoli Rahmonov
has restructured the Tajik
government and begun appointing a new cabinet, a move expected
following his November 6 re-election to another seven-year term.
Rahmonov reduced the total number
of ministries and state
committees from 25 to 17 and state agencies from 15 to 13. The
structural reforms consolidated some ministries, agencies and
committees, and downgraded the status of some ministries to
committees. Among the most
significant structural changes: the
consolidation of the Border Guards with the Ministry of Security
to form a committee headed by former Minister of Security
Abdurahimov; the establishment of an independent Customs
Service; a new agency in the presidential administration to
fight corruption; the dissolution of the Ministry for State
Revenues and Taxes; and the merging of the Ministries of
Industry and Energy and the Ministries of Transportation and
Communications.
2. The government has announced
only a handful of new
appointees. Many top officials
are moving from one high-level
government position to another,
including former Ambassador to
the U.S. Hamrokhon Zaripov as the new Foreign Minister, and
presidential Chief of Staff Mahmadnazar Solehov as the new
Interior Minister
3. The November 30 presidential
decree announced the following
structural changes:
The new Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection
merges the Ministry of Agriculture with the State Committee for
Environmental Protection and Forestry.
Abdurahim Qodirov,
former chairman of Zafarobod district in northern Sughd
province, was named Minister.
The new Ministry of Transportation and Communications combines
two previously separate ministries and assumes responsibility
for the Department of Civil Aviation, which had previously been
independent. Abdurahim Ashurov,
former Minister of
Transportation was appointed as the new minister.
Under the new structure, the Agency for Standardization,
Metrology, Certification and Trade Inspection
(«Tojikstandart»),
which used to be under the former Ministry of Economy and Trade,
will report to the government directly.
The new Ministry of Economic Development and Trade takes on all
portfolios of the previous Ministry for Economy and Trade,
excluding the issues of tourism, attracting investment and
Tojikstandart. The new ministry
assumes responsibility for the
State Agency for Anti-Monopoly Policy and entrepreneurial
enterprises.
The Ministry of Culture now incorporates the State Committee on
Religious Affairs.
The Ministries of Energy and Industry combine to form one
ministry, and take responsibility for industrial food processing
from the former Ministry of Agriculture.
Sherali Gulov, former
Chairman of the Committee for Management of State Property, was
named the new minister.
A State Committee for National Security is created out of the
Ministry of Security and the State Committee for Border
Protection (SCBP, aka the Tajik Border Guards). The new
committee head is General Saidamir Zuhurov, former SCBP
Chairman.
A Tax Committee reporting directly to the Government replaces
the former Ministry for State Taxes and Revenues, and takes over
the issues of social taxes covered by the former Social
Protection Fund.
The Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense
replaces the former Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The newly-created Customs Service assumes the customs-related
duties of the former Ministry of State Revenues and Taxes.
The Agency for Land Management, Geodesy, and Cartography assumes
the duties of the former State Committee for Land Management and
the former National Cosmological, Geodesic and Cartographic
Agency.
The Agency for Construction and Architecture replaces the former
State Committee for Construction and Architecture.
The new Agency to Fight Corruption and Economic Crimes will
DUSHANBE 00002169 002.2 OF 002
report directly to the presidential administration.
The State Committee for Management of State Property is expanded
to become the State Committee for Investments and Management of
State Property.
4. The decree leaves intact
several ministries and committees,
including Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Education, Labor
and Social Protection, Finance, Defense, Health, and Water and
Land Resources while reassigning selected portfolios and
responsibilities between ministries.
Some duties of the
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection are now folded into
other ministries. The migration
service is transferred to the
Ministry of Interior and the vocational education department to
the Ministry of Education.
5. Other new appointments
include:
Foreign Affairs: Former
Ambassador to the United States
Hamrokhon Zaripov was appointed Foreign Minister, replacing
Talbak Nazarov. Nazarov headed
the MFA since December 1994 and
Zaripov served in Washington since 2003.
(NOTE: The new
ambassador to the United States has not yet been announced. END
NOTE.)
Interior: Former Presidential Administration Chief of Staff
Mahmadnazar Solehov replaced Khumdin Sharipov as minister.
Labor and Social Security: Shukurjon Zuhurov, deputy of the
Majlisi Namaoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament)
was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Security, replacing
Zokir Vazirov in this post.
Shukurjon Zuhurov served as the
Labor and Social Security Minister in late 1990s.
Land Reclamation and Water Resources: Masaid Homidov, former
First Deputy Dushanbe Mayor, replaced Abduqohir Nazirov.
Justice: Bakhtiyor Khudoyorov replaced Khalifabobo Homidov.
Khudoyorov was head of the Constitutional Guarantees and
Citizens Rights Department in the presidential administration.
6. Post will continue to monitor and report on new appointments
as they are announced.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 87979
date: 12/4/2006 10:06
refid: 06DUSHANBE2171
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination: 06DUSHANBE2169|06DUSHANBE2171
header:
VZCZCXRO5145
OO RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #2171/01 3381006
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 041006Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9187
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1890
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1919
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1928
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0687
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 002171
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ECON, ETRD, EAID, EAIR, ENRG, KDEM, PHUM, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: RAHMONOV RESTRUCTURES GOVERNMENT AND STARTS
NAMING NEW CABINET: CORRECTED COPY
REF: DUSHANBE 2169
DUSHANBE 00002171 001.2 OF 002
1. This cable is to replace Dushanbe
2169.
2. President Emomoli Rahmonov
has restructured the Tajik
government and begun appointing a new cabinet, a move expected
following his November 6 re-election to another seven-year term.
Rahmonov reduced the total number
of ministries and state
committees from 25 to 17 and state agencies from 15 to 13. The
structural reforms consolidated some ministries, agencies and
committees, and downgraded the status of some ministries to
committees. Among the most
significant structural changes: the
consolidation of the Border Guards with the Ministry of Security
to form a committee headed by former Minister of Security
Abdurahimov; the establishment of an independent Customs
Service; a new agency in the presidential administration to
fight corruption; the dissolution of the Ministry for State
Revenues and Taxes; and the merging of the Ministries of
Industry and Energy and the Ministries of Transportation and
Communications.
3. The government has announced
only a handful of new
appointees. Many top officials
are moving from one high-level
government position to another,
including former Ambassador to
the U.S. Hamrokhon Zaripov as the new Foreign Minister, and
presidential Chief of Staff Mahmadnazar Solehov as the new
Interior Minister
4. The November 30 presidential
decree announced the following
structural changes:
The new Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection
merges the Ministry of Agriculture with the State Committee for
Environmental Protection and Forestry.
Abdurahim Qodirov,
former chairman of Zafarobod district in northern Sughd
province, was named Minister.
The new Ministry of Transportation and Communications combines
two previously separate ministries and assumes responsibility
for the Department of Civil Aviation, which had previously been
independent. Abdurahim Ashurov,
former Minister of
Transportation was appointed as the new minister.
Under the new structure, the Agency for Standardization,
Metrology, Certification and Trade Inspection
(«Tojikstandart»),
which used to be under the former Ministry of Economy and Trade,
will report to the government directly.
The new Ministry of Economic Development and Trade takes on all
portfolios of the previous Ministry for Economy and Trade,
excluding the issues of tourism, attracting investment and
Tojikstandart. The new ministry
assumes responsibility for the
State Agency for Anti-Monopoly Policy and entrepreneurial
enterprises.
The Ministry of Culture now incorporates the State Committee on
Religious Affairs.
The Ministries of Energy and Industry combine to form one
ministry, and take responsibility for industrial food processing
from the former Ministry of Agriculture.
Sherali Gulov, former
Chairman of the Committee for Management of State Property, was
named the new minister.
A State Committee for National Security is created out of the
Ministry of Security and the State Committee for Border
Protection (SCBP, aka the Tajik Border Guards). Border Guard
chairman General Zuhurov was initially announced as the head of
the new committee, but the government declared that the former
Minister of Security Abdurahimov would assume responsibility for
the new institution.
A Tax Committee reporting directly to the Government replaces
the former Ministry for State Taxes and Revenues, and takes over
the issues of social taxes covered by the former Social
Protection Fund.
The Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense
replaces the former Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The newly-created Customs Service assumes the customs-related
duties of the former Ministry of State Revenues and Taxes.
The Agency for Land Management, Geodesy, and Cartography assumes
the duties of the former State Committee for Land Management and
the former National Cosmological, Geodesic and Cartographic
Agency.
DUSHANBE 00002171 002.2 OF 002
The Agency for Construction and Architecture replaces the former
State Committee for Construction and Architecture.
The new Agency to Fight Corruption and Economic Crimes will
report directly to the presidential administration.
The State Committee for Management of State Property is expanded
to become the State Committee for Investments and Management of
State Property.
5. The decree leaves intact
several ministries and committees,
including Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Education, Labor
and Social Protection, Finance, Defense, Health, and Water and
Land Resources while reassigning selected portfolios and
responsibilities between ministries.
Some duties of the
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection are now folded into
other ministries. The migration
service is transferred to the
Ministry of Interior and the vocational education department to
the Ministry of Education.
6. Other new appointments
include:
Foreign Affairs: Former
Ambassador to the United States
Hamrokhon Zaripov was appointed Foreign Minister, replacing
Talbak Nazarov. Nazarov headed
the MFA since December 1994 and
Zaripov served in Washington since 2003.
(NOTE: The new
ambassador to the United States has not yet been announced. END
NOTE.)
Interior: Former Presidential Administration Chief of Staff
Mahmadnazar Solehov replaced Khumdin Sharipov as minister.
Labor and Social Security: Shukurjon Zuhurov, deputy of the
Majlisi Namaoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament)
was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Security, replacing
Zokir Vazirov in this post.
Shukurjon Zuhurov served as the
Labor and Social Security Minister in late 1990s.
Land Reclamation and Water Resources: Masaid Homidov, former
First Deputy Dushanbe Mayor, replaced Abduqohir Nazirov.
Justice: Bakhtiyor Khudoyorov replaced Khalifabobo Homidov.
Khudoyorov was head of the Constitutional Guarantees and
Citizens Rights Department in the presidential administration.
7. Post will continue to monitor and report on new appointments
as they are announced.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 88191
date: 12/5/2006 13:19
refid: 06DUSHANBE2177
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination: 06DUSHANBE1717
header:
VZCZCXRO6566
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #2177/01 3391319
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051319Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9194
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1904
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1876
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1930
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1892
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1921
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1770
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1857
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1385
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0700
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 002177
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, ECON, EAID, EAGR, ENV, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN’S WATER PROBLEMS HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT ON HEALTH
AND THE ECONOMY
REF: DUSHANBE 1717
DUSHANBE 00002177 001.2 OF 002
1. SUMMARY: Nowhere is the theme of this year’s United
Nations’ Human Development Report entitled «Beyond Scarcity:
Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis» more fitting than in
Tajikistan. Despite an abundance
of water in Tajikistan’s many
rivers and enormous hydroelectric potential, Tajikistan still
suffers from serious health problems and economic
under-development because it has been unable to properly utilize
and manage its water resources.
USAID’s Water User’s
Association program successfully empowered farmers on a micro
level to effectively manage water resources and with the
implementation of a new Water Users Association law now in
place, this model can be replicated throughout Tajikistan. END
SUMMARY.
2. Tajikistan ranks 122 out of
177 countries on the UN’s Human
Development Index. According to
the United Nations, only 59
percent of the Tajik population has access to a centralized
water supply. Of the 699
centralized water systems in
Tajikistan, 113 are broken and 358 do not provide sanitary
water. Only 23 percent of the
urban population has access to a
sewer system, and only five percent in rural areas. Since the
fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan’s infrastructure has
crumbled. Current public spending
on managing water resources
amounts to only six to seven percent of public spending in 1990.
The lack of a water supply and
sanitation system directly
contributes to Tajikistan’s health problems; for example,
UNICEF’s office in Tajikistan directly links a major cause of
infant death-diarrhea—to unsanitary water conditions. Poor
water management also has an economic impact. Sultan Rahimov,
Acting Chair of the Aral Sea Rescue Foundation, estimates that
Tajikistan loses out on $1.7 billion each year in mismanagement
of water resources, ineffective consumption, and a lack of
effective cooperation with its regional neighbors.
3. On November 30 the government
approved a $997 million
Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water proposal to rehabilitate
water and sanitation systems between 2007 to 2020 and provide
clean drinking water to the country.
The proposal outlines that
15 percent would be funded by the government, 10 percent from
local budgets, five percent from private industry and
anticipates that 70 percent of the $997 million from investors,
primarily meaning international organizations. The ministry
anticipates the government will formally accept the proposal
soon. (COMMENT: It is unclear what the status of this project
will be given the recent appointment of a new Minister of Water.
END COMMENT.)
USAID WATER USERS ASSOCIATION: AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD MANAGEMENT
4. USAID’s successful Water Users
Association (WUA) project has
been an effective example of how local communities can take
control of their local water resources.
WUA programs are
instrumental in assisting farmers to rehabilitate their drinking
water and irrigation supply system.
The WUA program’s reach
extends beyond mere technical assistance and creates truly
sustainable community groups responsible for managing their own
water resources and utilities-everything from establishing
prices to applying for infrastructure rehabilitation loans.
Through the WUA program, farmers learn tangible and transferable
skills to manage their future.
WUA taught farmers how to
operate computers and created work spaces for local associations
to meet. WUA members are trained in financial
management and
conflict management. The program
is a mechanism that teaches
transparent and democratic ways to solve a problem.
5. In addition to implementing
the WUA program, USAID’s
partner, Winrock International, also provided legislative advice
to the government and successfully lobbied for Tajikistan’s
first Water Users Association Law, passed this month. When the
law is formally enacted, it will provide a legal operational
environment for WUAs. Before the
WUA law, farmers did not have
the official right to organize or collect money from water users
to pay water utility bills.
(NOTE: Most people in Tajikistan do
not pay their water utility fees, simply ignoring the nominal
fee. END NOTE.) This law provides
a legal framework that
delegates control to WUAs to solve problems, rather than solely
relying on sometimes ineffective local Ministry of Land
DUSHANBE 00002177 002.2 OF 002
Reclamation and Water chapters. It
also gives power to the WUAs
to organize equitable water usage.
The law defines
democratically principled parameters under which the WUAs should
