TAJIK LEADERS CONFER ON SECURITY SITUATION.

President Imomali Rahmonov, United Opposition leader Saidabdullo Nuri and their top aides held an emergency meeting yesterday on what they described as a deteriorating security situation in certain areas of Tajikistan. Rahmonov accused the opposition of failing to disband its military detachments and merge parts of them with government forces. Those measures are required by the military protocol of the 1997 pacification agreements. Rahmonov went so far as to call for the use of force to disarm and disband the opposition detachments. He also complained that the opposition’s “full control of entire districts” prevents the Dushanbe government from reestablishing its authority in those areas, which are for the most part in the Pamir foothills.

According to Rahmonov’s account, Nuri basically conceded the president’s points and agreed in principle that joint measures were necessary to counter insubordinate units of the opposition (Itar-Tass, February 2). The president’s account did not mention the fact that both the military protocol and political power-sharing are to be implemented at the same time. The opposition is wary of disarming before it receives its due share of power in the central and local government bodies.

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