Tajik opposition fears crackdown after explosions
By Roman Kozhevnikov
DUSHANBE, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Tajikistan's opposition expects a further clampdown on civil liberties by the government which is worried by what it regards as growing Islamist militancy.
No one has claimed responsibility for last week's explosion in a building where the Tajik prime minister had been due to attend a conference, nor for a blast in June at the Supreme Court building. One person died in the Nov. 14 blast.
These attacks at government buildings in Dushanbe were a result of growing popular discontent, the opposition says.
This has been fuelled by little tangible improvement in living standards since a 1997 peace accord between pro-Russian forces and an alliance of Islamists and liberals. A civil war in the 1990s killed more than 100,000 people in Tajikistan.
"I fear that after these explosions, the government will get yet another excuse to step up pressure on the media and political opponents under the guise of a fight for stability," said Rakhmatullo Valiyev from the opposition Democratic party.
The government has singled out Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, both banned across Central Asia, as the main source of instability in Tajikistan.
"The explosion (last week) was organised by a small group of people unhappy with the fact that Tajikistan has returned to peace and is moving towards prosperity," said Jurakhon Buriyev of the main pro-presidential party.
Stability in the impoverished Muslim state bordering Afghanistan is key to its Central Asian neighbours.
The Tajik economy remains in tatters and companies are reluctant to invest due to red tape and business climate concerns. President Imomali Rakhmon, in power since 1992, tolerates little dissent and the media never criticise him.
He has vowed to stave off any attempt to destabilise the nation. Last week he urged clergy to ban all political debate in mosques across Tajikistan. Two opposition newspapers have been closed and the BBC FM radio service was suspended in 2006.
"People are still very poor and expect the government to do something about it," said Shamsiddin Saidov, a senior official from the Islamic Revival party of Tajikistan. "Voices of discontent are rising across society." (Writing by Maria Golovnina; Editing by Robert Woodward)
