Emomali Rahmon

Early politics

In 1990, Rahmon was elected a people's deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the Tajik SSR. President Rahmon Nabiyev was forced to resign in the first months of the Civil War in August 1992. Akbarsho Iskandrov, Speaker of the Supreme Soviet, became acting president. Iskandarov resigned in November 1992 in an attempt to end the civil unrest. That same month, the Supreme Soviet met in Khujand for its 16th session and declared Tajikistan a parliamentary republic. Rahmon was then elected by the members of the Supreme Soviet as its chairman (as the parliamentary republican system adopted by Tajikistan did not provide for a ceremonial president, he was also head of state) and the head of government. Former Interior Minister Yaqub Salimov later recalled that Rahmon's appointment was made because he was "nondescript", as other field commanders thought that he could be cast aside "when he had served his purpose."

Presidency (1994–present)

In 1994, a new constitution re-established the presidency. Rahmon was elected to the post on 6 November 1994 and sworn in ten days later. During the civil war that lasted from 1992 to 1997, Rahmon's rule was opposed by the United Tajik Opposition. As many as 100,000 people died during the war. He survived an assassination attempt on 30 April 1997 in Khujand, as well as two attempted coups in August 1997 and November 1998. He was re-elected on 6 November 1999 to a seven-year term following constitutional changes, officially taking 97% of the vote.

On 22 June 2003, a referendum was passed, allowing him to run for two more consecutive seven-year terms after his term expired in 2006. Rahmon was re-elected for a seven-year term in a controversial election on 6 November 2006, with about 79% of the vote, according to official results.

In a cable dispatch that was leaked in 2010, the U.S. embassy in Dushanbe reported that Tajikistan's largest bank was controlled by Rahmon and his family. The same leaked diplomatic cable also contains confidential marked information on how the Tajik president diverts to himself most of the revenues from the country's biggest industries, hydroelectricity and exported aluminum.

On 6 November 2013, he was re-elected for more seven years in office with about 84% of the vote, in an election process which the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said lacked "genuine choice and meaningful pluralism".

In December 2015, a law passed by Tajikistan's parliament gave Rahmon the title "Founder of Peace and National Unity – Leader of the Nation" (Tajik: Асосгузори сулҳу ваҳдати миллӣ – Пешвои миллат, romanized: Asosguzori sulhu vahdati millî – Peshvo'i millat). The "Leader of the Nation" component is used frequently as a shorter title. In addition to granting Rahmon lifelong immunity from prosecution, the law also granted him many other lifelong privileges, including veto power over all major state decisions, the freedom to address the nation and parliament on all matters he deems important, and the privilege of attending all government meetings and parliamentary sessions.

On 22 May 2016, a nationwide referendum approved a number of changes to the country's constitution. Among the main changes were the removal of presidential term limits for Rahmon, a ban on religious political parties such as the Islamic Renaissance Party, and the reduction of the minimum eligibility age for presidential candidates from 35 to 30, enabling Rahmon's older son, Rustam Emomali, to run for president any time after 2017. The conduct for the referendum has been questioned, as Reporters Without Borders had claimed the Tajik government had been "blocking", "intimidating" and "threatening" independent media just before it. In January 2017, Rustam was appointed Mayor of Dushanbe, the country's largest city and capital.

In November 2018, Rahmon relaunched a hydroelectric station project to solve energy problems. In October 2020, he was once again re-elected as president for a fifth term with a margin of 90.92%, amid fraud allegations. In July 2021, over 1,000 Afghan troops and civilians fled to Tajikistan after Taliban insurgents took control of many parts of Afghanistan. In response, Rahmon ordered 20,000 reserve servicemen of the country's Ground Forces to be sent to the Afghan–Tajik border.

Religious policy

Rahmon is a Sunni Muslim and has frequently stressed his Muslim background even though his administration has suppressed public display of Islamic devotion. The government imposed bans on beards, attendance at mosque for women and children under 18, hajj for people under 40, studying in Islamic schools outside Tajikistan, the production, import or export of Islamic books without permission, using loudspeakers to broadcast the adhan, veils, madrassas, Islamist political parties, and Arabic-sounding names. Furthermore, mosques are heavily regulated; providing unofficial Islamic teaching can lead to up to 12 years of imprisonment, and an arduous process is required to obtain a permit to establish an Islamic organisation, publish an Islamic book, or go on pilgrimage to Mecca. In January 2016, Rahmon performed an Umrah with a number of his children and senior members of his government. It was his fourth pilgrimage to Mecca.

His reply to critics of the election standards of the 2006 Tajikistani presidential election was:

"In Tajikistan, more than 99 percent of those residing here are Muslim. We have a completely different culture. You have to take that into account".

During a 2010 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation session in Dushanbe, Rahmon spoke against what he called the misuse of Islam for political ends, claiming that "Terrorism, terrorists, have no nation, no country, no religion... Using the name 'Islamic terrorism' only discredits Islam and dishonors the pure and harmless religion of Islam."

Membership in Hizb ut-Tahrir, a militant Islamic party that aims to overthrow secular governments and unify Muslims under one Islamic state, is illegal and members are subject to arrest and imprisonment. The Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRP) is a banned Islamist political party and has been designated a terrorist organization since 2015.

In 2017, the government of Tajikistan passed a law requiring people to "stick to traditional national clothes and culture", which has been widely seen as an attempt to prevent women from wearing Islamic clothing, in particular the style of headscarf wrapped under the chin that is in contrast to the traditional Tajik headscarf tied behind the head.

By 2024, the Salafi movement and polygamy became popular in Tajikistan, despite both officially being banned by the government.

Economic policy

Under Rahmon, the state intervenes in the economy, which a focus more on state-led investment rather than private investment. In the late 1990s, the economic system of Tajikistan under Rahmon was described as statist.

Personal life

Family

He is married to Azizmo Asadullayeva and has nine children. Two of his children, Rustam Emomali and Ozoda Rahmon, are senior officials in his administration, while another, Zarina Rahmon, was appointed deputy head of Orienbank in January 2017. Rustam is widely believed to be his father's successor.

Rahmon had a sister who reportedly died in a hospital of COVID-19 on 20 July 2021. According to local media, her sons physically assaulted the national health minister and a senior doctor.

One of his grandchildren reportedly purchased a luxury three-bedroom beachfront apartment on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah when he was just nine years old. The property, now valued at over $1.3 million, continues to generate approximately $55,000 in annual rental income.

Name changes

In March 2007, Rahmonov changed his surname to Rahmon, dropping the Russian-style "-ov" ending. He also removed the patronymic, Sharipovich, from his name altogether. Rahmon explained that he had done so out of respect for his cultural heritage. Following the move, scores of government officials, including members of parliament and civil servants, also removed Russian-style patronymics and "-ov" endings from their surnames. In April 2016, Tajikistan officially banned giving Russian-style patronymics and surnames to newborn Tajik children, with children from minority and mixed families retaining the right to their traditional surnames.

Political positions

Emomali Rahom is ideological committed to secular nationalism.

Electoral history

Honours and awards

• Honorary Doctorate of Leadership by the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT)
• Hero of Tajikistan
• Order of Mubarak the Great
• Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (2008)
• Order of the Three Stars (2009)
• Order of Merit of Ukraine (2011)
• Heydar Aliyev Order (2012)
• Order of the President of Turkmenistan (2012)
• Order of the Republic of Serbia (2013)
• Order of Alexander Nevsky (2017)
• Order of Parasat (2018)
• Mark of Honour of Heads of State in Central Asia (2021)
• Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (2022)
• Honorary Doctorate in Arts by Cairo University (2022)
• Order of the Golden Eagle (2023)
• Friendship Medal (2024)