TAJIKISTAN: SHAKE UP AT MINISTRY OF ENERGY, MINISTER

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000768 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, MANILA PASS TO ADB AMB. SPELTZ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ECON ENRG TI SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: SHAKE UP AT MINISTRY OF ENERGY, MINISTER DISMISSED ¶1. President Rahmonov signed a decree April 24 dismissing the Minister of Energy and other ministry officials. According to press reports Abdullo Yerov will replace Jurabek Nurmahmadov as the Minister of Energy. Yerov was the former Minister of Energy until replaced by Nurmahmadov in 2004, when he was demoted to a deputy minister position. ¶2. Pulad Muhiddinov will by Yerov's First Deputy Minister, moving over from the Executive Office of the President where he was the chief of the Office on Energy and Industry. Muhiddinov is replacing Alexey Silantiev, who will be the first deputy chairman of Barqi Tojik, the government's electricity monopoly. The new chairman of Barqi Tojik will be Sharifhom Samiyev. ¶3. The decree also ordered the replacement of two Deputy Ministers, Emomiddin Aslov who oversaw coal, oil and gas, and Negmatullo Inoyatov, in charge of the Sangtuda projects and the ministry's International Relations Department. Zarobiddin Fayzullaev, previously the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Supervision and Industrial and Mine Safety, has been appointed as a Deputy Minister. ¶4. COMMENT: Embassy sources say President Rahmonov has been unhappy with Nurmahmadov's performance for some time; however, his replacement, Yerov, is no more competent. Although, he used to be the chief of a hydropower station, he is weak on policy matters. Post will continue to investigate the reasons behind the reshuffling, and any possibility that this may signal a desire for increased and more diversified foreign energy investment, or simply accelerated investment from Russia, Tajikistan's "strategic partner." END COMMENT. HOAGLAND