VZCZCXRO5908
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #2111/01 3260516
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220516Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9099
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1890
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1868
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1807
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1916
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1880
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1907
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1562
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1578
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1766
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1849
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1381
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 1133
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0594

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 002111 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM TI
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT RAHMONOV CELEBRATES THIRD TERM WITH PRECIOUS 
JEWELS AND A NEW BENTLEY 
 
 
DUSHANBE 00002111  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  President Rahmonov was sworn in to his third term 
on November 18, a warm sun-filled day.  The festivities were low 
key, but expensive, filled with precious jewels, flag waving 
patriots, a military parade, and one shiny new car.  Embassy 
sources estimate inauguration costs amount from $500,000  to $1 
million, not including the (re)construction of two new grand 
halls where the swearing in ceremony and celebratory feast took 
place.  Security leading up to the day was tight and Rahmonov 
encouraged Tajiks to celebrate it as a holiday.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  The official swearing in ceremony, conducted at a newly 
constructed "Somoni Hall" at the State Dacha lasted 
approximately one hour on November 18.  More than 1500 officials 
including parliamentarians, region and district chairmen, and 
prominent public figures packed into the hall to watch Chairman 
of the Central Commission on Elections and Referenda hand 
President Rahmonov his official certificate and watch him take 
the oath of office. 
 
¶3.  Prior to the swearing in, the Chief of the Constitutional 
Court hung the new presidential star fashioned into a necklace 
of Tajik precious stones around Rahmonov's neck.  Three soldiers 
placed the Tajik Constitution under Rahmonov's right hand.  No 
Koran was visible.  Prior to the ceremony the state television 
aired a recording of a poem by famous Tajik poet Mr. Bozor 
Sobir, who is presently residing in the United States.  The poem 
stresses that Tajiks have roots to Zoroastrians and more ancient 
times pre-dating Islam. The poem's imagery described Tajiks as 
"people who wear white coats and will never change their white 
coats to another color," inferring that Tajik heritage and 
history were not fundamentally altered by the adoption of Islam. 
 Following the oath, the president kneeled to kiss the hem of 
the Tajik flag.  His speech singled out three countries - 
Russia, China, and the United States - as special friends of 
Tajikistan. 
 
¶4.  The president departed the Dacha and slowly cruised down 
Rudaki Avenue, Dushanbe's main thoroughfare, in his new, 
pristine black Bentley convertible.  A cavalcade of new black 
Mercedes escorted the president down the street for half an hour 
as television cameras filmed the procession with Rahmonov 
waving, Miss America-style, to the thousands of university 
students gathered along the street to greet him.  Students and 
residents lined the streets waving flags and congratulatory 
banners.  As soon as Rahmonov passed the students, they were 
dismissed and permitted to go home. 
 
¶5.  Crowds also gathered around Somoni Square in the center of 
the city, where Rahmonov gave another speech.  Approximately 
5,000 military officers marched in formation in front of the 
president after swearing an oath of allegiance to him.  This is 
the first time military personnel were requested to take an oath 
of allegiance to the president. 
 
¶6.  Following the ceremonies, Rahmonov hosted a reception at the 
renovated Exhibition Hall, where he was clearly in a festive 
mood.  The Ambassadors of Tajikistan's three "partners" -- 
Russia, China and the United States -- were prominently seated 
in a gesture of solidarity, and throughout the reception the 
president frequently raised his glass to the three.  Rahmonov 
gave several impromptu speeches declaring that Tajikistan had 
survived the bad times and is moving forward.  He emphasized 
that inauguration day is a holiday for the people of Tajikistan 
and invited his guests to "celebrate like civilized white 
people."  (Comment: No comment.)  As the party went on, and on, 
the president took to the stage and began to sing.  At this 
point, the television cameras stopped filming. 
 
¶7.  Security was tight during the parade, due to the fact that 
the country's president was riding down a main street standing 
in an open car.  Hundreds of police were stationed along the 
 
DUSHANBE 00002111  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
route to deter possible trouble-makers.  Secret service police 
tried to confiscate the iPod of a PolOff observing the parade 
along Rudaki.  In addition, a local Embassy employee's relative 
who was wearing traditional Tajik clothing was singled out and 
frisked by police, even though he did not exhibit any 
extraordinary behavior.  Residents along Rudaki were forbidden 
from observing the parade on their balconies.  Two weeks prior 
to the inauguration, Tajik special forces began checking 
passports of all residents along Rudaki.  Authorities tried to 
close all shops, particularly those that sell cellular phones 
along the main street.  Despite the order, some shops were still 
open for business. 
 
¶8.  COMMENT:  Unlike typical presidential inaugurations in 
Central Asia, Rahmonov did not invite foreign dignitaries to his 
party.  Because of the controversy surrounding the election -- 
this being Rahmonov's third term which some deem 
unconstitutional and the OSCE's initial report saying that the 
uncompetitive election was not a true test of democratic process 
-- it is not surprising that the government would choose to keep 
events low-key - or at least  as low key as a new Bentley and 
bejeweled necklace would allow.   Rahmonov, ever the populist 
politician, emphasized that the inauguration is also an 
important part of Tajikistan's living history and that the 
celebration was as much for the Tajik people as it was for him. 
END COMMENT. 
 
 
JACOBSON 
HOAGLAND