Karimov makes a last-ditch attempt Islam Karimov has been ruling the country with an iron fist since June 1989 12.03.14 02:47 The international travel ban for high-ranking officials is an expression of Islam Karimov’s unprecedented mistrust of his own government. By Galima Bukharbaeva The March 5 presidential decree banning most high-ranking Uzbek officials from traveling abroad without prior authorization from the president is essentially a form of imprisonment within the country. A regional khokim (administrator) or a deputy minister has a near zero chance of gaining access to Karimov to receive the required exit permit, as the circle of people who do have access to the president is extremely small, with even some of his family members failing to make the cut. One can only assume that from this point onwards, the officials specified on the “black-list” can expect to travel abroad only as part of group delegations for international events, where the president simply has no choice but to authorize their international travel. What is Karimov trying to achieve by leaving his government members, many of whom are his close associates, locked up, and in doing so openly admitting his mistrust of them to the entire world? What exactly is he punishing them for, what is he afraid of, that he went so far as to disallow his government from freely traveling around the world? And is the 76-year old president capable of reigning in his entire retinue, if, as specified in the decree, it includes all law enforcement and punitive agencies – the SNB, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Attorney General, and Supreme Court? Going down with the ship Tashpulat Yuldashev, an Uzbek political scientist living in the United States, believes that not a single official listed in the decree could interpret this new requirement positively, without seeing it as a threat and a limitation of his/her freedom. “No No one likes this ban, I am sure many are in a state of shock right now.” Tashpulat Yuldashev one likes this ban, I am sure many are in a state of shock right now,” Yuldashev told Uznews.net. According to him, this act is very different from others: for the first time, Karimov takes matters of control and supervision into his own hands, evidently not trusting anyone else. Yuldashev further points to the legal inconsistency of this act. It contradicts the right to freely move around, which is outlined in the country’s constitution. The reference to non-disclosure of state and military secrets is hardly substantial enough to justify this act. Not everyone on the “black list” has access to state secrets, and those who do seem unlikely to give the president reason to doubt their trustworthiness. The true reason for this law, believes Yuldashev, is Karimov’s wish to nip in the bud a possible mass defection from the sinking ship called Uzbekistan. “Karimov’s regime is in troubled waters,” says Yuldashev. The ruling elite, understandably, wishes to secure themselves with exodus options, having sensed the beginning of the upcoming power struggle with its consequent re-distribution of wealth and search for scapegoats. The drain of national financial capital is tremendous at the moment, with many officials as well as their relatives buying up properties abroad at the speed of light. The fate of the president’s own daughter, Gulnara Karimova, is seen as a warning sign and has fueled this hasty exodus even further. She and her 15-year old daughter Iman have been under house arrest since February 17. If Karimov is punishing his daughter for corruption, the cleaning will not stop here, believes Yuldashev. Having already sacrificed his daughter, Karimov continues to hurl thunderbolts at his government. Ship rats are to report back to duty! This opinion is shared by a political opposition member living in Sweden, Khazratkul Khudojberdi, founder of the new political movement Ozodlik (Freedom). Khudojberdi is convinced that this new law by Karimov is meant to stop his corrupt officials from fleeing the country. “Having packed their millions, the Uzbek officials are ready to jump ship,” says Khudojberdi, “stopping them is the main objective of this law.” He does not rule out the possibility that the schism in the system that manifested itself as a conflict between Gulnara Karimova and the SNB could have created some opposition within the system as well. If so, the president is surely trying to nip that as well. Bakhodyr Choriev, leader of the Birdamlik movement, who lives in the United States, attributes this new law to his own recent calls to action. According to Choriev, he has recently been calling on Uzbek officials to join his movement and to destroy Karimov’s regime from the inside. “I believe that the ban on leaving the country is connected to my appeals. Karimov is scared that his retinue would join Birdamlik,” Choriev told Uznews.net. Birdamlik called on Gulnara Karimova to join the movement as well, setting her corruption aside for later. “We need to unite to oust Karimov. Later we will discuss what to do with the thieves and their wealth,” says the opposition leader. One against all? The above-mentioned opinions leave one question wide open – with the “black list” containing practically everybody of any significance in government, and everyone who has been spurred and raised by him, including his daughter, who exactly is Karimov’s ally? During his daughter’s several months long conflict with the National Security Services he inquired only once, at their meeting on January 2, if she planned to “fight the SNB alone?”. Karimov answered that question in favor of his own system and the SNB. Today, perhaps he thinks differently. But then, his own question could be asked of him, too, unless he is acting under the precise supervision of the very small circle of people who still have access to him. Some other analysts watching the events in Tashkent are not yet ready to draw any firm conclusions, instead referring to Karimov’s actions as “unpredictable”. Galima Bukharbaeva is Editor-in-Chief of Uznews.net birdamlik.info/en/2014/03/12/karimov-makes-a-last-ditch-attempt/ Be Sociable, Share!
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 01:02:12 +0000
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