Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Uzbekistan

Uzbek Governor Sacked For Poor Economic Results

Uzbek President Islam Karimov (file photo) (epa)

October 20, 2006 -- Reports suggest slow economic progress is the main official reason behind Uzbek President Islam Karimov's decision to sack Ferghana Region Governor Shermat Normatov.

TEXT SIZE - +

October 20, 2006

Uzbekistan's official UzA news agency says Karimov, in his October 19 address to the local parliament, lamented the eastern region's economic hardships before announcing his decision to dismiss Normatov.

The Uzbek leader reportedly criticized the outgoing governor for failing to create new jobs, attract foreign investors, or meet cotton-output targets.

Karimov last week also cited economic reasons when he sacked the governor of neighboring Andijon Region, Saydullo Begaliev.

Both regions are part of the larger Ferghana Valley, an area that spans the territories of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and that regional governments portray as a hotbed of religious extremism.

Uzbek security forces last year crushed a popular uprising in the city of Andijon, killing hundreds of unarmed civilians, according to independent accounts.

(UzA)

RFE/RL Central Asia Report

SUBSCRIBE For regular news and analysis on all five Central Asian countries by e-mail, subscribe to "RFE/RL Central Asia Report."

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

Production and distribution of rap music is not officially banned, but it

Yo! Turkmen Rappers Flip The Script On Repression

For a growing number of Turkmen youth, rap music has become a way to express their daily struggles and inspire political change in one of the world's most oppressive countries. More