Reshuffles in Tajikistan change nothing in the country

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 12 / Trend V. Zhavoronkova/

The changes, recently made by Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon among the country's officials, will not affect the situation in the country, the U.S. expert on Central Asia Bruce Pannier believes.

"Tajik President made a change for the sake of change - but it remains unlikely that anything will be different in the way the country is run," Pannier, expert of Radio Liberty, wrote Trend via e-mail.

Rahmon made a number of reshuffles in the country during last week, among which is the change of the Justice, Education and Interior Ministers as well as the first Deputy Prime Minister, heads of regional administrators, Deputy Secretary of Security Council.

Observers estimate these reshuffles as a beginning of reformation process in the country, but expert said it seems like a normal strategy of Tajikistan's President.

"There is nothing so unusual about that, because every January President Rahmon switches officials around," Pannier said.

He believes the same people always stay but they move to new ministries and around different posts.

In some cases this may reflect President's dissatisfaction with someone but usually it is simply Rahmon's will to keep his inner circle but also will to show the country's people, particularly the young generation, that there some changes happen in the government, expert said.

"I doubt that more than a few people in Tajikistan are left dissatisfied," he added.

Pannier believes, it is increasingly clear that the younger crowd, less than 40 years old, would like to see someone from their generation getting some top posts in the government of Tajikistan.