TAJIK OPPOSITION TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS COOPERATION WITH GOVERNMENT.

United Tajik Opposition (UTO) chairman Saidabdullo Nuri yesterday suspended the work of the National Reconciliation Commission, which he chairs. The NRC, a joint government-opposition body, is empowered to supervise the implementation of the peace agreements signed in Moscow in June 1997.

Nuri’s statement accused the government side of using the NRC to cover the government’s own unwillingness to implement the peace agreement. Nuri cited the authorities’ failure to prepare training quarters for the opposition’s armed units at their places of deployment; the authorities’ refusal to repatriate some remaining Tajik opposition fighters from Afghanistan, who were long due to join the opposition leaders’ escort in Dushanbe; and their stonewalling on the overdue appointment of opposition representatives to 30 percent of government posts. Nuri also pointed out the failure by the authorities to implement a reciprocal amnesty program, under which the opposition has already released 1,153 captured government soldiers, while the government has released only 70 opposition detainees from a list of 1,644.

Nuri announced the UTO’s intention to resume work in the NRC once the government begins seriously complying with these and other provisions of the political and military agreements it has signed with the opposition. (Russian and international agencies, January 15)

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