Russia Signals Backing for Tajik Leader

Judging by a recent visit to the Tajik capital by a prominent Russian official, Moscow is making no secret of its wish that President Imomali Rahmonov win another term in office in this November’s election.



Sergei Mironov, the chairman of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, was in Dushanbe last week for an inter-parliamentary forum. After meeting Rahmonov on August 25, he told journalists the president's record could "only inspire admiration”.



Mironov’s visit resulted in a number of agreements being signed covering labour migration, agriculture, industry and education. But analysts polled by NBCentralAsia viewed the event as an opportunity for Moscow to demonstrate its backing for the Tajik head of state ahead of the forthcoming vote.



Russian support has always placed a decisive role in Tajik politics, say observers, and Moscow is in no hurry to lose its influence should a different leader come to power. Rahmonov’s comment, made at the parliamentary forum, that Moscow was Tajikistan’s main strategic partner was especially significant in view of the growing influence of other world powers such as China, Iran and the United States in his country.



Russia’s open support for the incumbent could antagonise the Tajik opposition, as happened this spring, when Russian ambassador Ramazan Abdulatipov’s statement that Tajikistan had no alternative to Rahmonov provoked an outburst of indignation from local political leaders. They said is remarks constituted external interference and an attempt to get the pro-Rahmonov election campaign off to an early start.



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)