TAJIKISTAN: CORRIDOR REP OF NEW MVD MINISTER LOOKS GOOD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000130 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR SCA/CEN (HUSHEK) INR/B INL/AAE (BUHLER) JUSTICE FOR (DUCOT AND NEWCOMBE) DEFENSE FOR OSD/P E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SNAR KCRM KJUS PGOV TI SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: CORRIDOR REP OF NEW MVD MINISTER LOOKS GOOD ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On January 29, President Rahmon appointed Abdurahim Abdulahadovich Qahhorov from Khudjand as the new Minister of Internal Affairs replacing Mamadnazar Solehov. The appointment of Qahhorov, previously the police commander for Khujand, could be a merit based promotion because he made his way through the ranks of the ministry and is considered as a competent professional policeman. He is, notably, the first head of a "power" ministry (i.e. security related) to come from northern Tajikistan. End summary. NEWS LEAKS AT NIGHT ¶2. (SBU) Late in the night on January 28, word filtered out that President Rahmon had appointed Abdurahim Abdulahadovich Qahhorov as the new Minister of Internal Affairs. He replaced Mamadnazar Solehov who had been in the job since December 1, 2006. Neither the Presidential Administration nor the press offered any reasons for the change in leadership although the end of January is traditionally the time for change-over in the major ministries in Tajikistan. ¶3. (SBU) Independent political analyst, and Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan member Abdullo Hakim Rahnamo, speaking to the press said that the new minister was a step in binding Tajikistan together. He described Qahhorov as a skilled and competent professional and said the appointment was a real step towards providing participation of all regions in the rule of the country. ¶4. (SBU) Press reports of the appointment are favorable. The positive reviews of presidential actions are not surprising in the tightly controlled media environment of Tajikistan. Usually the media refer to the changes in the government as "another shuffling" because the same people in the government rotate with no new faces being introduced. QAHHOROV'S BACKGROUND ¶5. (U) From 2006 until his recent appointment, Qahhorov was a regional commander in Khudjand, reportedly sent there at the direction of then new Minister Mamadnazar Solehov. Prior to this, Qahhorov was First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs to then Minister Khumdin Sharipov. From 1993 Qahhorov headed the Ministry's Police School and was instrumental in upgrading it from Institute to Academy status. He is the son of Abdulahad Qahhorov - former Prime-Minister of the Soviet Republic of Tajikistan from 1961 ¶1973. ¶6. (U) Biographical Details Full Name: Abdurahim Abdulahadovich Qahhorov Date of birth: November 10, 1951 Place of Birth: Konibodom (near Khujand),Sugd Oblast Qahhorov is married. Education: Secondary School #9 in Dushanbe Legal Department of Tajik State University 1974 Academy of Ministry of Internal Affairs 1981 Work Experience 1974-1977 Q Criminal Investigations officer, Senior Criminal Investigations Officer and then Head of Criminal Investigations Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; of the Tajikistan SSSR, USSR November 8, 1977 Q Sr. Inspector of the Department of Crime prophylactics, Criminal Investigations Department of the Republic of Tajikistan 1979Q1981 - Academy of Ministry of Interior of Soviet Union, Moscow; 1981Q1985 - Upon graduation was appointed the Head of the Department of Internal Affairs of Octyabrskiy district of Dushanbe, Tajikistan SSR, (now the Somoni district of Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan); QSSR, (now the Somoni district of Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan); DUSHANBE 00000130 002 OF 002 1985-1987 Q Deputy Head of the Department of Internal Affairs of the city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan SSR; 1987-1992 Q Deputy Minister of Interior; Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tajikistan SSR and after independence Republic of Tajikistan; 1992-1993 Q First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Republic of Tajikistan; 1993-2000 - Head of the High Police School, Republic of Tajikistan; 2000-2006 Q First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Republic of Tajikistan 2006-2009 Q Head of the Department of Internal Affairs for Sugd Oblast; January 29, 2009 Q Minister of Interior of Tajikistan Qahhorov was promoted to Lieutenant-General in 2001. ¶7. (U) Notes: In 1999 he became a Candidate of Legal Science with the publication of a research paper "Law Enforcement System of Tajikistan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924-1929." The paper covered the period when Tajikistan was part of Uzbekistan but preparations were underway to create a separate Soviet Socialist Republic. During the civil war period in Tajikistan he received several awards for meritorious service. He has a reputation as a very serious, honest, principled, well educated, and professional law enforcement officer. ¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: By all appearances Qahhorov has the experience and education to be the professional policeman some assess him to be. Given his extensive tenure with the MVD Academy, we are hopeful that INL's Academy training and infrastructure projects will receive solid support. End comment. QUAST