FORMER TAJIK LEADERS OFFER ALTERNATIVE TO THE REGIME.

The three Tajik former prime ministers who reemerged in Moscow (see Monitor, July 30), announced yesterday the formation of a National Revival Movement in "constructive opposition" to president Imomali Rahmonov’s government. At a news conference in Moscow, Abdumalik Abdullojanov, Jamshed Karimov, and Abdujalil Samadov called on the president and government to introduce reforms and end the civil war through a compromise with the armed opposition. The ex-prime ministers urged the formation of a coalition government to include representatives of the Dushanbe authorities, the armed opposition, political parties, and the country’s regions; and called for devolution of powers from the center to the regions. They urged a more active role for Uzbekistan in the inter Tajik negotiations, endorsed an open-ended presence of Russian border troops on the Tajik-Afghan border, and asked to participate in the proposed meeting between Rahmonov and United Tajik Opposition chairman Saidabdullo Nuri, which Russian foreign minister Yevgeny Primakov has offered to host in Moscow. Aides to the trio suggested yesterday that Rahmonov should be retained as "nominal president" if he turns over most of his powers to a broadly-based government. (Interfax, Russian TV, July 30)

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