DUSHANBE, January 6, Asia-Plus – President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov has seen that a new university named after book “Ruhnama” written by him will open in the republic, Centrasia.Ru reported.   

            According to Centrasia.Ru, Niyazov is sure that new education institution will have beneficial influence on development of Turkmen state.   By president’s idea, students at this university will study the humanities and natural sciences making special focus on literature. 

The new literature is supposed to have been built by 2010 and it will able to accommodate up to 3,000 students.   

“Ruhnama” written by the president is a holy book for all citizens of Turkmenistan, it was intended as “moral constitution of Turkmens,” Centrasia.Ru reported.  

DUSHANBE, January 6, Asia-Plus –  Thursday January 5, Kyrgyzstan’s President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed an edict “On Measures on Preparations for Referendum in Kyrgyzstan”.  But the date of referendum has not yet been set.  

The edict provides for carrying out of explanatory work among the population about features of state system under different forms of government and other issues related to constitutional reforms.  The edict also provides for graduality of measures of preparation and carrying out of explanatory work – at first, among officials with public service and local governments and then among the population. 

The Ministry of Justice is to coordinate this work through formation of working groups comprising representatives from leadership, lawyers, representatives from political parties and public associations, civil society for further sending them to the provinces to carry out explanatory work among the population.

The Kyrgyz people will be asked, “What system of government does Kyrgyzstan need?”

            On December 21, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said Kyrgyzstan would hold a referendum next year that will ask citizens if they want to weaken the powers of the presidency in favor of parliament.  Speaking to the Constitutional Council, which he chairs, Bakiyev said the Kyrgyz people would be asked whether they want a presidential, a parliamentary, or a presidential-parliamentary system of government.  

The president has repeatedly signaled that he favors postponing constitutional reforms up until 2009.

DUSHANBE


, January 5, Asia-Plus — The Agrarian Party of Tajikistan (APT) is making preparations for actively participating in all political events in the country, including the presidential elections due in November 2006.

The APT head, Amir Qaraqulov, remarked this in the briefing in Dushanbe today.  Amir Qaraqulov told the news conference his party plans to field a candidate in Tajikistan’s November 2006 presidential election.  According to him, a candidate will be determined at the extraordinary congress of the party.  “We also intend to study positions of other political parties in the country and if our positions agree we will embark on consultations with them about the possibility of forming coalition,” Qaraqulov said, adding that they hope to fulfill all the set plans.  

According to the APT leader, first of all, it is necessary to solve the issue of state support to the agrarian sector in production of farm produce and modernization of its material-technical basis.   

Besides, the Agrarian Party of Tajikistan intends to ensure that amendments will be made to the country’s budget for 2006.  “I think the national budget for 2006 does not take into consideration some important issues related to the agrarian sector,” Qaraqulov said.  

“At present, our party has 1,300 members and in future, we intend to establish the party’s primary organizations in all regions of the country.” Qaraqulov said, noting that his party plans to establish its official paper already this year.  

DUSHANBE


, January 5, Asia-Plus — “Over half of


Tajikistan


’s population is under 19 years of age.  Tajikistan’s youth of today will determine the success of the country tomorrow.  The Tajik Government and the United States agree that the improvement of educational systems beginning with the primary education level is necessary for the economic and civil development of Tajikistan.  While we often talk about children being the future of a country, they are also the present, and deserve support now,” press release issued by the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe says. 

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), through United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding, continue to work with communities, teachers, school directors, teacher trainers, and Ministry of Education officials to improve the quality of basic education in Tajikistan.

Both programs work closely with community members to improve community support for education.  Parents are encouraged to visit their children’s classrooms and to participate in parent associations.  

Tajikistan’s schools and universities need to adapt to produce skilled graduates to meet uncertain, often rapidly changing, employer needs.  Learning must become more flexible, more student-centered, and more focused on problem solving and applications of concepts rather than memorization of facts.  AED’s Participation, Education and Knowledge Strengthening Program (PEAKs) and AKF’s Improving Basic Education in Tajikistan (IBET) programs began in 2003 to provide training and material assistance needed to achieve these results.  The strategy is to support 23 schools and provide training to nearly 100 surrounding schools.    

Teachers are enthusiastic about the new methods and have found creative ways to use them within the existing curriculum.  To date, the project has provided training to nearly 1,500 primary and secondary teachers who teach more than 62,000 students throughout all of Tajikistan.

           



DUSHANBE


, January 5, Asia-Plus — Large-scale military exercises with practice shoot, dubbed “Frontier-2006”, for servicemen of the Rapid Deployment Force of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in

Central Asia

is supposed to be conducted in


Kazakhstan


in May this year, according to information from the Tajik Defense Ministry. 

Battalions of the armed forces of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia making up the CSTO Rapid Deployment Force will participate in the military exercises in Kazakhstan, the source said.  The Asia-Plus refrained from giving further details of the drill, noting, “Participants in the drill may possibly rehearse coordination and interaction in carrying out anti-terrorist missions.”        

Kazakhstan’s Defense Minister Mukhtar Altynbayev will be in overall command of the forthcoming war game.    

DUSHANBE


, January 5, Asia-Plus – The Agrarian Party of Tajikistan (APT) does not intend to seek coalition with the People’s Democratic Party (PDPT) to participate in the presidential elections due in November this year, the APT chairman Amir Qaraqulov announced at a briefing in


Dushanbe


today.   

Qaraqulov gave a news conference in connection with article entitled “Tajikistan.  Till the presidential elections it remains…” by leader of Tajikistan’s Social-Democratic Party, Rahmatillo Zoirov, posted on the website

www.centrasia.ru

on December 19, 2005. 

“Nobody, except congress, has the right to determine out political actions,” said Qaraqulov, “The Agrarian Party of Tajikistan as political party intends to determine its position independently, in accordance with its program documents.”

“In the mentioned article, the SDPT leader expresses his opinion and sight of the upcoming presidential elections in Tajikistan and predicts that the Agrarian Party will seek coalition with the PDPT,” Qaraqulov noted.  

“Claims that our party is allegedly the pro-government one is his personal opinion,” said the APT head, “Probably, muddle and vacillation within the SDPT are forcing the party’s leadership to seek moral and financial support from elsewhere rather than from its supporters,” a statement made by the APT leadership says.    

“At present our party is carrying out an active work aimed at creating and strengthening its structures and increase its numbers,” Qaraqulov read out the party’s statement at the news conference.