Is Tajikistan reshuffle a prelude?

Long-familiar faces in the government have been pushed aside. The official explanation for the shakeup is that there is a need for fresh blood. But is there more to this than meets the eye?

You say goodbye and I say hello: Forecasts about Tajik President Emomali Rahmon’s departure are routinely proven wrong.

To serve in the government of Tajikistan, competence and suitability are not absolute requirements.

What matters is loyalty and, ideally, personal connections.

For that reason, sudden shakeups in the upper echelons of power inevitably rai…