DOUBTS CLOUD SIGNING OF TAJIK PEACE AGREEMENT.

United Tajik Opposition first deputy chairman Akbar Turanjozoda yesterday warned that the government is jeopardizing the planned signing of a political agreement with the opposition, scheduled to take place on June 27 in Moscow under the aegis of Russian president Boris Yeltsin. In a cable to UN secretary general Kofi Annan in the name of UTO chairman Saidabdullo Nuri, Turanjozoda pointed out that the government is still failing to meet two prerequisites to the Moscow meeting set by earlier understandings: inclusion of Dushanbe’s political detainees in a general exchange of prisoners, and definition of the government offices that will comprise the opposition’s 30 percent share of power. The UTO leaders’ message pointed out that UN special envoy Gerd-Dietrich Merrem, "instead of helping overcome these obstacles, sets dates for the Moscow meeting ignoring the aforesaid issues." (Russian agencies, June 21) Merrem, Moscow, and Dushanbe sought to hold the meeting in the Kremlin on June 14, then postponed it to June 27 despite the failure to meet those prerequisites.

The Monitor is a publication of the Jamestown Foundation. It is researched and written under the direction of senior analysts Jonas Bernstein, Vladimir Socor, Stephen Foye, and analysts Ilya Malyakin, Oleg Varfolomeyev and Ilias Bogatyrev. If you have any questions regarding the content of the Monitor, please contact the foundation. If you would like information on subscribing to the Monitor, or have any comments, suggestions or questions, please contact us by e-mail at pubs@jamestown.org, by fax at 301-562-8021, or by postal mail at The Jamestown Foundation, 4516 43rd Street NW, Washington DC 20016. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution of the Monitor is strictly prohibited by law. Copyright (c) 1983-2002 The Jamestown Foundation Site Maintenance by Johnny Flash Productions