| Mar 1990 | In the elections to the Supreme Soviet, opposition politicians were refused to participate, and 94% of the elected deputies were members of the Communist Party of Tajikistan (CPT). |
| Aug 1990 | In an apparent concession to growing Tajik nationalism, the Supreme Soviet adopted a declaration of sovereignty on August 25. Although the declaration emphasized the equality of all nationalities living in Tajikistan, the growth in Islamic influence, the rediscovery of the Tajiks' Iranian heritage and language and the uncertain political situation, all contributed to an increase in emigration from the Republic, mainly by Europeans and educated Tajiks. |
| Sep 1991 | Following the declarations of independence by neighboring Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, the Tajik Supreme Soviet voted to proclaim Tajikistan an independent state, based on democratic principles and rule of law. The name of the country was changed to the Republic of Tajikistan. |
| Dec 1991 | Tajikistan, along with other Central Asian republics, became a co-founder of the CIS, one of the 11 signatories of the Alma-Ata Declaration on December 21, by which the CIS was formally established. |
| Oct 1992 | Rebel leaders and Tajikistan's acting President Akbarshah Iskandarov agreed to hold an emergency parliament session, and the rebels began to leave government buildings they had seized. The agreement offered hope of a negotiated solution to the uprising against Iskandarov by supporters of former communist leader Rakhmon Nabiyev. Hundreds have been killed in recent civil war in Tajikistan, a nation of 5.1 million. Russian troops guarded Dushanbe's airport, train station and TV center. Russia's Foreign Ministry has expressed "deep concern" over the fighting and the fate of ethnic Russians in Tajikistan, where anti-Russian sentiments are widespread (The Associated Press, 10/25/92). Although Tajikistan is more than 80% ethnic Tajik or Uzbek, Russians hold many of the professional jobs needed to keep the economy and government functioning. |
| Nov 1992 | The presidential system of government was abolished and the country was declared a parliamentary republic. Legislative power is vested in the 230-member Supreme Soviet, whose Chairman is the Head of State. |
| Mar 3, 1993 | CIS peace-keeping forces, from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia, were deployed in Tajikistan to reinforce existing border troops. |
| May 1993 | President Yeltsin signed a friendship and defense treaty with Tajikistan, whose communist-style government is fighting an Afghan-backed alliance of Islamic militants and democracy advocates. The treaty calls for arms sales and military assistance, if necessary. Yeltsin said the treaty also addressed the plight of ethnic Russians in Tajikistan, protecting those remaining in Tajikistan and assisting those wishing to leave. More than half the estimated 380,000 Russians in Tajikistan have fled since the violence began. Tajikistan has been criticized by the Amnesty International for human rights abuses against returning refugees (The AP, 05/25/93). |
| Jul 1993 | About 25 Russian border guards were killed in a clash during the second week with Muslim opposition fighters backed by Afghan Mujahideen. Russian Security Minister V. Barannikov stated that "an effective defense of the borders of the former Soviet Union serves the interests of CIS countries and the national interests of Russia." He added that the presence of over 200,000 ethnic Russians in Tajikistan placed the region in Russia's "direct sphere of influence" (AFP, 07/21/93). |
| Jan 1994 | Tajik Deputy Premier announced that four people have been arrested in connection with the killing of the family of nine Russian-born Christians. The Minister ruled out any religious or political motives behind the killings. A separate investigation is still under way into the murder of Russian Orthodox priest Sergey Mikhalev. The government of Tajikistan has offered a large reward for any information on the murder of the priest whose body was found in late December in Dushanbe. The Russian community in Tajikistan has sent a letter to President Yeltsin, suggesting the introduction of dual citizenship for local Russian-speaking residents, and the creation of a united economic as well as spiritual space. Some proposals for economic issues are set forth in another letter, addressed to Prime Minister of Russia. |
| Mar 1994 | Peacekeeping forces of the CIS in Tajikistan should be granted UN status, according to a communique by the foreign ministers of Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, signed at a summit meeting in Dushanbe on March 15. |
| Apr 1994 | Rizvon Alimardon, the so-called commander of United Armed Forces of Tajik Mujahideen, called on citizens of Tajikistan to support a Jihad (Holy War) against the present regime. Leaflets were circulated among residential areas of Dushanbe, accusing the "pro-communist government" of perpetrating social and economic evils in the republic (Tass, 04/27/94). |
| May 1994 | UN Secretary General welcomed the first round on intra-Tajik talks in Moscow as promising. In his report Boutros-Ghali said the first round of UN-brokered talks in Moscow during 5-19 April allowed the parties to work out a comprehensive agenda for negotiations on national reconciliation. The agenda includes three aspects: political settlement, return of the refugees, and a new constitutional system. |
| Jun 1994 | The Russian side reserves the right to use all available means to ensure security of Russian servicemen and compatriots in Tajikistan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman G. Karasin told a press briefing held in connection with a series of murders of Russians in Tajikistan (Tass, 06/09/94). |
| Jul 1994 | Opposition leaflets urging Russian soldiers in Tajikistan to stay out of the domestic conflict appeared on 25 July. |
| Jul 20, 1994 | Tajikistan's parliament rejects a proposal to make Russian an official language alongside the state language of Farsi. A second proposal to grant Russians and other ethnic minorities dual citizenship is shelved. |
| Oct 25, 1994 | The Los Angeles Times reports that Russian civilians are no longer targeted or openly threatened by Tajik guerrillas. In fact, opposition spokesmen say that they now accept the need for long-term Russian border protection and other assistance. |
| Nov 6, 1994 | Parliament chairman and acting head-of-state Imamali Rakhmonov wins Tajikistan's first presidential election. |
| Feb 26, 1995 | Supporters of Tajikistan's neo-Communist government win an overwhelming majority in parliamentary elections. Islamic opposition parties are banned from the elections and the major remaining opposition party boycotts the elections charging that the elections are rigged. |
| Aug 10, 1995 | The Tajik Justice Ministry registered a new political organization, the Congress of the Peoples of the Republic of Tajikistan. The republic's Uzbek, Russian and Korean communities as well as the Communist Party of Tajikistan and the Peoples Movement are all members of the new movement. One of the movement's primary objectives is to overcome all forms of discrimination. (Source: BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 8/12/95) |
| Sep 7, 1995 | Tajikistan and Russia signed an agreement on dual citizenship and a declaration on greater integration between the two countries. Tajik President Imomali Rahmonov and Russian president Boris Yeltsin signed the joint declaration in Moscow to promote greater integration and cooperation between their two countries. It envisages coordination in the main areas of economic reform, the creation of a single customs territory to ensure the free movement of goods and services, and the expansion of cooperation and integration in the military field. The declaration also contains a promise from both countries to prevent discrimination against ethnic minorities, and to provide full civil, social, economic and cultural rights to all citizens of both countries irrespective of an individual's nationality. (Source: BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 9/9/95 and 9/11/95) |
| Sep 18, 1995 | Inter-Tajik talks between the Tajik government and muslim opposition forces failed to open as scheduled on 18th September because neither side could agree on a venue. The government wanted the talks to be held in the Turkmen capital Ashkhabad, while the opposition agreed to a UN proposal to hold them in the Austrian capital Vienna. (Source: BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 9/20/95) |
| Sep 19, 1995 | Russian Foreign Minister Andrey Kozyrev arrived in the Tajik capital Dushanbe and was immediately flown by helicopter to the Tajik-Afghan border, where clashes between Muslim opposition fighters and government troops occurred. After inspecting the situation and expressing concern for the situation of the Tajik-Afghan border, Kozyrev met with Tajik President Imomali Rahmonov and discussed preparations for the next round of inter-Tajik talks which failed to open as scheduled on September 18th. Rahmonov and Kozyrev also discussed the implementation of the agreements on dual citizenship and on greater integration between Russia and Tajikistan which were signed by Rahmonov and Russian President Boris Yeltsin during the Tajik president's visit to Moscow at the beginning of September. (Source: BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 9/20/95) |
| Mar 9, 1996 | Representatives of 32 political parties and public organizations in Tajikistan signed a treaty on public reconciliation. The treaty contained promises from the Tajik government to henceforth solve its countries inter-Tajik conflict using peaceful alternatives. The treaty also contained government promises to stamp out gender, ethnic, and religious discrimination, and to aim for peace and friendship with the Russian Federation. (Source: BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 3/14/96) |
| May 2, 1996 | A new weekly newspaper called Press Panorama' was registered by the Tajik Ministry of Culture and Information. The weekly will be published in five languages - Tajik, Russian, Uzbek, Persian and English. The main aim of its founders is " to propagate the ideas of democracy, humanity and friendship among peoples". (Source: BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 5/7/96) |
| Aug 1, 1996 | A new Tajik opposition force, described as the National Revival bloc and led by three former prime ministers, has criticized the government for its inability to end the conflict in Tajikistan. Abdumalik Abdullojonov, Jamshed Karimov and Abdujalil Samadov claimed that the government was unable to "settle the economic reforms." Abdullojonov said their opposition bloc had a "concrete, realistic program" for ending the crisis in the country, which included forming a government in which all regions, political parties and public movements would have representation. The program provides for dual citizenship and power sharing between central and local government authorities. The three leaders of the bloc called for an end to all killing in Tajikistan and said that they themselves would fight for power only through peaceful means. They said that armed confrontation and persecution on political grounds would cease under their rule. The three leaders also said that 90 per cent of the Tajik population now supports them coming to power. They are counting on support not only from Tajikistan but from Russia as well. (Source: BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 8/1/96) |
| Mar 3, 1998 | Tajikistan will issue new passports starting April 1st. In accordance with a government resolution, there will be three types of passports: diplomatic, business and general, and old Soviet-style passports will only be valid until the end of 1998. (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 3/3/98) |
| Apr 2, 1998 | The human rights organization Human Rights Watch has called on Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov to commute the death sentences passed on six men for their involvement in an assassination attempt on Rahmonov a year ago. The letter asks the president to take the humanitarian, judicial, and political ramifications of these death sentences into account. The Human Rights Watch letter highlighted the case of one of the six, Abduhafiz Abdulloyev, who was terminally ill with cancer . Abdulloyev is a brother of Abdumalik Abdullojonov, the former prime minister who is currently leader of the opposition National Revival bloc. (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 4/2/98) |
| Aug 12, 1998 | Tajikistan denied that its troops are fighting in Afghanistan on the side of Abdorrashid Dostum of the Northern Alliance. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that such information was contained in some Russian media reports. Tajik authorities described them as "provocative and baseless". At the same time, the ministry said "the presence of the supporters of former colonel Makhmud Khudoiberdyev and himself in Afghanistan is possible". The ministry also said, "Khudoiberdyev has led an insurrection in Tajikistan and is now wanted by police". (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 8/13/98) |
| Nov 4, 1998 | A constituency for the elections to the Russian State Duma will be formed in the town of Chkalovsk in Leninobod Region northern Tajikistan by the Russian consulate in this Region. Citizens of the Russian Federation, who are living temporarily in Leninobod Region and residents of the Region who have taken Russian citizenship will come to vote in this constituency. (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 5/11/99) |
| Apr 17, 1999 | Russian President Boris Yeltsin and his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rahmonov, have signed in Moscow a package of bilateral documents to ensure the "steady progressive development of mutually beneficial" Russian-Tajik cooperation and strategic partnership in the 21st century. The Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan promised to ensure equal rights and freedoms, without any discrimination, to their citizens regardless of their ethnic origins. Both countries also agreed to recognize the equivalency of documents certifying educational background and learned degrees and titles. Also, both countries agreed to ascribe special importance to supporting the Russian-Tajik (Slavic) University in Dushanbe. (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 4/17/99) |
| Apr 23, 1999 | An agreement on the procedure for and conditions of broadcasting of Russian TV-companies' programs in Tajikistan was signed within the framework of that country's president Emomali Rakhmonov's visit to Russia. The agreement stipulates that the " Russian side will ensure an objective coverage of topical issues in Tajikistan by Russian TV companies and radio-stations." Tajikistan, in turn, will "work out and implement the necessary organizational and technical measures." The Russian language of the broadcasting was especially agreed upon. (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 4/23/99) |
| Jul 9, 1999 | At a meeting of the consultative council of political parties in Tajikistan, some parties expressed their opposition to the referendum scheduled for September 26th on proposed amendments to the country's constitution. The main areas of concern dealt with provisions that would extend the presidential term of office to seven years and set up a bicameral parliament. (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 7/28/99) |
| Jul 27, 1999 | The UN Secretary General's acting special envoy in the Republic of Tajikistan and head of the political department of the UNMOT UN Mission of Observers in Tajikistan, Iogesh Saksena stated at a press conference that the adoption of the protocol of 17th June 1999 by Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov and United Tajik Opposition (UTO) leader Sayed Abdullo Nuri was a positive step for further accelerating the peace process. He expressed hope that the forthcoming referendum to be held on 26th September would be positive and would be followed by a session of the Supreme Assembly in early October. The date for parliamentary elections should be defined at this session which, according to his information, must be held in early January 2000 . As for the presidential elections, they must be held before 6th November. (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 7/31/99) |
| Jul 29, 1999 | The leadership of the United Tajik Opposition UTO has expressed its disagreement with the principles of the work of the Central Electoral Commission on elections and the referendum. The UTO leadership insists that the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) decision, reached on 17th June, on appointing a UTO representative to the post of deputy chairman of the Central Electoral Commission should be fulfilled and that the 25 per cent quota for UTO representatives should be taken into account when constituencies and precincts are being set up. In the event that their demands are not met, the UTO leadership stated that they would be compelled to recall their representatives from the Central Electoral Commission and would declare the activity of this body illegal. (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 7/31/99) |
| Sep 2, 1999 | Parties and movements of the Consultative Council of Political Parties of Tajikistan set up in June for waging a joint election campaign have supported the conditions put forward by the United Tajik Opposition leadership necessary for holding free and democratic elections in the country. At a meeting between the chairman of the National Reconciliation Commission, Sayed Abdullo Nuri, who is also the UTO leader, and the leaders of the Consultative Council on 1st September, the leaders of the Communist Party, the Democratic Party (Tehran platform) and the National Movement Party expressed concern over "the course of the political election campaign". This political bloc, according to its leader, has been facing serious problems in its interaction with the authorities of Tajikistan. In particular, according to them, the activity of the Agrarian Party was suspended under various pretexts and the National Movement of Tajikistan has not yet been registered. (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 9/2/99) |
| Oct 28, 1999 | Representatives of the government and the United Tajik Opposition UTO have started talks to find a path towards peace and to break the current deadlock. It is expected that these delegations will be able to find a way to break the current deadlock which is connected with the forthcoming presidential elections. Nuri, leader of the UTO, said that the NRC will continue its activities until the peace agreements are implemented in full. (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 10/29/99) |
| Nov 7, 1999 | The presidential elections in the Republic of Tajikistan of 6th November were declared valid. An active turn-out of the population of the republic was observed in the elections. In total, 98 per cent of the electorate turned out to vote. According to early figures, over 96 per cent of the electorate who turned out cast their votes in favor of the incumbent president, Emomali Rahmonov. Two per cent of the electorate cast their votes for Davlat Usmon, the candidate from the Islamic Rebirth Party of Tajikistan. In line with the constitution, the final results of the presidential elections will be announced by the CERC through the media within 10 days after the elections. (Source: BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 8/11/99) |
| Nov 10, 1999 | The last 18 on the list of 93 imprisoned United Tajik Opposition (UTO) supporters were released in line with the "protocol on political guarantees during the preparation and holding of the parliamentary elections", signed by the president of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmonov, and the leader of the UTO, Sayed Abdullo Nuri, at midnight on 5th-6th November. |
