SUNNY DAYS

Sunny Coalition of the Uzbek opposition and Ozod Dekhkonlar called a joint press conference on May 18 to release an appeal to general public in the country and abroad on the tragic events in Andizhan and demand an immediate resignation of the government and election of the president within three months. Spokesmen for Sunny Coalition announced as well that economist Sandzhar Umarov had drafted an anti-crisis program for the national economy.

"Governments of the United States, Great Britain, and other countries of the West merely declare their devotion to democracy, universal civil rights, and supremacy of the law," to quote the appeal. "Citizens of Uzbekistan have already paid a price in blood for these rights. They are uniting now to establish civil society. Time is running out, but it is not yet late for the international community to help Uzbekistan with a peaceful transition of power."

"The latest events in Andizhan, Kara-Suu, and Pakhtaabad made it plain to the international community that the war on international terrorism used as an excuse, the Uzbek regime is actually clinging to power. That it would not balk at deploying methods of state terrorism, merciless violence, and harassment of its own people." Ozod Dekhkonlar Executive Secretary Nigara Khidojatova said. "The United States and other democracies must condemn this regime and take an active part in a peaceful transition of power in Uzbekistan to democratic forces on the basis of the Constitution and the law. Provisional transition government of the democratic forces should be empowered by the international community to investigate the events in the Ferghana Valley and punish all guilty of murders of peaceful citizens. It should also be empowered to initiate political and economic reforms needed to extricate Uzbekistan from the socioeconomic crisis."

"As soon as Sunny Coalition was formed, businessmen who joined it found themselves prosecuted and under pressure," Coalition Coordinator Khidojatova continued. "All the same, we have economic and political experience, we know what is to be done to prevent the country from sliding into chaos of a civil war. We know what is to be done to lead the country to economic and social prosperity. Assisted by American economists, Sunny Coalition drafted a program of the necessary reforms."

Harassment of Andizhan businessmen that sparked people's indignation, the closing of Business-Bank and other establishments, deterioration of all sectors of economy, oppression of farmers and small businesses, restrictions imposed on market freedoms - all of that should persuade Uzbek businessmen that they cannot expect anything good from the regime. The population is fed up with impoverishment. People in the square in Andizhan only wanted to be heard, they were asking for freedom and their right to work. The regime responded with bayonets and bullets. Constitution of Uzbekistan does not stipulate impeachment of the president. Its puppet show of the parliament the opposition was not permitted to run for is illegitimate and absolutely incapable. With the help from the international community, democratic forces of Uzbekistan are nevertheless prepared for a dialogue with the government to stop violence and repressions.

"Wealth of natural resources, diligence and enterprise of the Uzbek people need no proof," Umarov, who had flown to Tashkent from Washington on May 12, told journalists. "Even despite total corruption, tyranny of security structures, and bureaucratic pressure applied by the authorities, small and medium businesses in Uzbekistan account for over 30% of the GDP. They could account for 60-70%. The country cannot depend solely on cotton and gold anymore, not with the millions of the impoverished and unemployed kept from revolts only by their fear of the army. The World Bank and foreign experts already drew recommendations for development of the Uzbek economy. They only have to be acted upon but that is impossible without liberalization of political life in the country.

Observers note, however, that Sunny Coalition that boasted of having an economic program for a dialogue with the regime as long as a month ago is not exactly in a hurry to publish its provisions.

Organizers of the press conference explained how they had counted casualties in Andizhan on May 12-13 and afterwards. Khidojatova said that the information she was referring to had been compiled by volunteers who counted funerals only. Compilation of a list of names for the international community will take time and painstaking labor because of the necessity to come up with all circumstances of every death. Ozod Dekhkonlar insists that the death toll is 747 people at this point.

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It should be added that the count of casualties, including victims of clashes with the police and border guards in Pakhtaabad, released by the opposition and particularly by Ozod Dekhkonlar was more than a mere exaggeration. Locals and journalist Andrei Babitsky who visited Pakhtaabad yesterday report no tragic events in the city.