Uzbekistan: New Hokims Elected to Senate Committees

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TASHKENT 000531 SIPDIS AMEMBASSY ASTANA PASS TO USOFFICE ALMATY AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PASS TO AMCONSUL HYDERABAD AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PASS TO AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/04/16 TAGS: PGOV PINR UZ SUBJECT: Uzbekistan: New Hokims Elected to Senate Committees CLASSIFIED BY: Steven Prohaska, Second Secretary, State, Pol-Econ; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (SBU) On March 27-28, 2009, Uzbekistan's Senate of the Oliy Majlis (parliament) held its eighteenth plenary session. Consistent with Article 77 of Uzbekistan's Constitution, recently-appointed hokims of Surkhandarya, Samarkand, Tashkent, Navoi, and Khorezm Provinces had been elected senators by their respective provincial legislative bodies (Councils of People's Deputies). Other senators at the plenary session then elected these new hokims/senators to positions on various Senate committees. They will retain their positions as hokims while serving on these committees. ¶2. (C) Embassy Political Assistant obtained the following biographic information on these hokims: Surkhandarya Hokim Joins Senate Committee for Defense and Security Issues -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Turobjon Djuraev, an ethnic Uzbek, was born on February 22, 1966, in Kashkadarya Province. From 1983 until 1984, he worked as a blacksmith at a repair shop in Usman Yusupov District, Kashkadarya Province, Uzbekistan. From 1984 until 1986, Djuraev served in the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union. Between 1986 and 1990, he was a student at the Tashkent Economic Institute. He worked as the Assistant to the Chair of the Economics Department at Tashkent Economic Institute between 1990 and 1992. From 1992 until 1995, Djuraev was a graduate student at Tashkent State Economic University. He worked as an Associate Professor at Tashkent State Economic University from 1995 until 1997. ¶4. (SBU) From 1997 until 1998, Djuraev was an intern at Moscow State University in Russia. Between 1998 and 2000, he served as Department Chief at Uzbekistan's Ministry of Finance. From 2000 until 2004, he worked as a Deputy Finance Minister. On May 7, 2004, Djuraev was appointed Uzbekistan's Minister of Public Education. On March 25, 2008, he was appointed hokim of Surkhandarya Province. Samarkand Hokim Joins Senate Committee for Agricultural and Environmental Issues �00A; -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Uktam Isoevich Barnoev, an ethnic Uzbek, was born on October 4, 1964 in Romitan District of Bukhara Province. In 1986, he graduated from the Tashkent Institute of Engineers of Irrigation and Mechanization of Agriculture. In 1999, Barnoev graduated from the Tashkent State Economic Institute. ¶6. (SBU) From 1986 until 1995, he served in various capacities--Technology Section Engineer, Engineer for Technical Control, Deputy Director for Construction Issues, and Deputy Director for Financial Issues--in the Joint Directorate for Enterprises Construction No. 6 in Bukhara Province. Barnoev was Deputy Chief for Economic Issues of the Directorate "Amubukhorocanalqurilish" (Construction of the Amu Darya-Bukhara Canal) between 1995 and 1997. ¶7. (SBU) From 1998 until 2000, he served as the Deputy Chief for TASHKENT 00000531 002 OF 003 Economic Issues in the Department of Agriculture and Water Management of Bukhara Province. Between 2000 and 2002, he worked in succession as Deputy Chief of the Department for Accounting and Accounting Methodology; Chief of the Department for Work with Weak Enterprises; and the Chief of the Department for Sanitation and Financial Support of Agricultural Producers in the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management. ¶8. (SBU) Barnoev served as principal specialist in the Secretariat of the Deputy Prime Minister/Chief of the Agricultural-Industrial Complex of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan between 2002 and ¶2004. From 2004 until 2006, he was chief of the information-analytical department in the Agricultural-Industrial Complex of the Cabinet of Ministers. Between 2006 and 2007, he worked as the chief of the information-analytical department on agricultural, water management, and food processing issues in the Cabinet of Ministers. From 2007 until 2008, Barnoev was the First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Water Management of Uzbekistan. He has served as hokim of Samarkand Province since April 15, 2008. Tashkent Hokim Joins Senate Committee for Science, Education, Culture and Sports -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Rustam Kurbonnazarovich Holmatov, an ethnic Uzbek, was born on May 18, 1961 in Akkurgan District of Tashkent Province. From 1977 until 1979, he was a worker in the State Farm "Akkurgan" in Akkurgan District. Holmatov served in the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1979 and 1981. From 1981 until 1993, he worked in succession as a worker, financial specialist, and senior financial specialist. From 1993 until 1995, Holmatov was the senior financial specialist in the Association of Farmers "Akkurgan" in Akkurgan District. He served as first deputy hokim of Akkurgan District 1995-1998. From 1998 until 2000, Holmatov was hokim of Chinaz District in Tashkent Province. From 2000 until 2003, he served as first deputy hokim/Chief of the Department of Agriculture and Water Management of Tashkent Province. Holmatov was hokim of Kuyichirchik District of Tashkent Province between 2003 and 2008. He has served as the hokim of Tashkent Province since December 16, 2008 and is a member of the Liberal-Democratic Party of Uzbekistan. Navoi Hokim Joins Senate Foreign Policy Committee -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Erkinjon Oqbutaevich Turdimov, an ethnic Uzbek, was born on July 10, 1969 in Kushrabot District of Samarkand Province. In 1991, he graduated from the Tashkent Agricultural Institute. From 1991 until 1993, he worked in succession as a specialist on loan planning; principal specialist for loans, financing of and investing in construction and supply enterprises; and as Deputy Chief of the Section for Monetary Problems in the Syrdarya Branch of "Uzsanoatqurilishbank" (Uzbek Industrial Construction Bank). ¶11. (SBU) From 1995 until 1996, Turdimov served as a deputy hokim of the city of Zarafshan in Navoi Province. He was the manager of the Navoi Branch of the National Bank of Uzbekistan between 1996 and 2000. In 2008, he served as Uzbekistan's First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Water Management. TASHKENT 00000531 003 OF 003 ¶12. (SBU) Since December 12, 2008, Turdimov has been hokim of Navoi Province and he is a member of the National Rebirth Party. Khorezm Hokim Joins Senate Foreign Policy Committee -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Ollabergan Hayitboevich Ollaberganov, an ethnic Uzbek, was born on May 10, 1961 in Goibu Village of Urgench District in Khorezm Province. In 1983, he graduated from the Andijon Cotton Industry Institute and in 1996 he graduated from the Academy of State and Public Development under the President of Uzbekistan. In 1983, he started his career as an agronomist on the Collective Farm "Pakhtakor" in Urgench District of Khorezm Province. From 1988 until 1990, he served as principal agronomist in the Association of Farmers of Urgench District. From 1990 until 1992, he was a Deputy Chairman of the Collective Farm named after Kalandarov in Urgench District. ¶14. (SBU) Ollaberganov worked as the Chief of the Secretariat of the Hokimiyat of Urgench District from 1992 until 1993. From 1993 until 1995, he served as the Chairman of the Agricultural-Industrial Association of Urgench District. Between 1995 and 1996, Ollaberganov was a student at the Academy of State and Public Development. ¶15. (SBU) From 1996 until 1997, he was the first deputy hokim of Bogot District for Agricultural and Water Management Issues in Khorezm Province. From 1997 until 1999, he worked as the Chairman of the Khorezm Province Branch of the Association "Uzmevasabzovot" (Uzbek Fruits and Vegetables Association). From 1999 until 2000, he served as the deputy hokim/Chief of the Control Inspectorate of Khorezm Province. Ollaberganov was the hokim of Bogot District between 2000 and 2002. From 2002 until 2004, he worked as the first deputy hokim/Chief of the Department for Agricultural and Water Management Issues of Khorezm Province. Between 2004 and 2007, he served as first deputy hokim for Agricultural and Water Management Issues of Khorezm Region. He has served as hokim of Khorezm Province since February 16, 2008 and is a member of the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan. Comment: -------------- ¶16. (C) Interestingly, four of the five new hokims/senators previously held leadership positions having to do with agriculture and water management. While there has been a Presidential policy for at least the past several years of giving preference to people with such experience for provincial hokim positions, other factors (such as clan preferences) also come into play. Embassy Political Assistant has reported that all hokim nominations--at the provincial, city, and district levels--are subject to President Karimov's approval. A provincial hokim can nominate others to city and district hokim positions, and must send a dossier on such nominees to President Karimov for his blessing. The Presidential Apparat's approval is also necessary before a hokim can become a senator. Embassy Political Assistant has described the Foreign Policy, Defense and Security, and Budget committees as particularly influential committees in the Senate. BUTCHER