VOA: EDITORIAL: UZBEKISTAN: DEMOCRACY KEY TO STABILITY

DATE=8 March 1999

TYPE=EDITORIAL

CONTENT=

THIS IS THE FIRST OF TWO EDITORIALS BEING RELEASED FOR

BROADCAST 03/08/99.

ANNCR:

THE VOICE OF AMERICA PRESENTS DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON A WIDE

VARIETY OF ISSUES. NEXT, AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

VOICE:

AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION IN 1991, MANY PEOPLE

FORMERLY RULED BY MOSCOW HOPED FOR MORE FREEDOM. UNFORTUNATELY,

THERE HAS BEEN MUCH CAUSE FOR DISAPPOINTMENT FOR THOSE LIVING IN

THE CENTRAL ASIAN REPUBLICS. THAT INCLUDES THE UZBEKS. SINCE

1993, THE GOVERNMENT OF UZBEKISTAN HAS NOT PERMITTED AN

OPPOSITION PARTY.

CHOSEN PRESIDENT IN AN UNFREE ELECTION IN

1991, ISLAM KARIMOV HAD HIS STAY IN OFFICE EXTENDED TO 2000 BY A

1995 SOVIET-STYLE REFERENDUM.

REPRESSION OF BASIC FREEDOMS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO POLITICAL

INSTABILITY. LAST MONTH, VIOLENCE ROCKED TASHKENT, THE UZBEK

CAPITAL, WHEN SIX CAR BOMBS WERE SET OFF, KILLING FIFTEEN AND

INJURING OVER ONE-HUNDRED TWENTY. POSSIBLE SUSPECTS INCLUDE

ISLAMIST FORCES WITHIN THE COUNTRY OR INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC

EXTREMIST GROUPS.

THE UZBEK GOVERNMENT HAS CRACKED DOWN ON THOSE

WHO WORSHIP OUTSIDE THE SYSTEM OF STATE-SUPPORTED MOSQUES. THIS

FOLLOWS THE CLOSING IN 1998 OF NEARLY ONE-THOUSAND MOSQUES AND

ARREST OF MANY OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED THESE MOSQUES. THE

GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO JAILED OR FORCED INTO EXILE PRO-DEMOCRACY

ADVOCATES.

THE GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS IS NOT THE

ONLY PROBLEM. ECONOMICALLY, UZBEKS ARE SUFFERING BECAUSE THE

GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SLOW IN CARRYING OUT FREE-MARKET REFORMS.

UZBEKISTAN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PROSPER. IT IS A MAJOR PRODUCER

OF GOLD AND HAS SUBSTANTIAL DEPOSITS OF COPPER, GAS AND OIL.

WHILE THE GOVERNMENT HAS REDUCED INFLATION AND THE BUDGET

DEFICIT, PRIVATIZATION OF THE LARGE STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES THAT

ACCOUNT FOR THE BULK OF THE COUNTRY'S GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT HAS

BEEN SLOW.

UZBEKISTAN COULD BE A FORCE FOR STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN

CENTRAL ASIA. BUT THIS CANNOT BE ACHIEVED THROUGH AUTHORITARIAN

CONTROLS. RATHER, THE UZBEK GOVERNMENT SHOULD BEGIN TO ESTABLISH

A MARKET ECONOMY AND GENUINE DEMOCRACY -- WITH OPPOSITION

PARTIES, COMPETITIVE ELECTIONS, A FREE PRESS, AND RESPECT FOR THE

RIGHTS OF CITIZENS. THOSE ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LEGITIMATE

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.

ANNCR:

THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE U.S.

GOVERNMENT.