P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Prominent Tajik Figures of the Twentieth Century

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

267

man of the Executive Committee of the Kulab Regional Council of

People's Deputies. On November 19, 1992, at the 16

th

 session of the

Supreme Soviet, 12

th

 convocation, he was elected Chairman of the

Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Tajikistan. On November 6, 1994, he

was elected President of the Republic, and took the oath of office on

November 16, 1994. On September 26, 1999, following changes in the

Republic's constitution, he was reelected president for the next seven

years. On September 30, 1999 he was the Chair of the 54

th

 session of

the 18

th

 General Assembly of the United Nations.

Among Rahmonov's accomplishments during office mention can be

made of ending the Civil War and the repatriation of refugees who had

fled to Afghanistan and other neighboring countries; stemming the

flight of non-Tajiks and safeguarding the territorial integrity of the Re-

public; making peace with the Opposition; facilitating communication

across the land; and the revival of traditional Tajik customs.

Rahmonov became an Honorary Member of the International Acad-

emy of Medicine and has received the Albert Schweitzer award and es-

tablished the Order of the Spitamen.

Rahmonov's contributions include Tojikon: Chahor Soli Istiqloliyat

va Khudshinosi (The Tajiks: Four Years of Independence and Self-Rec-

ognition, 1995), Tojikon dar Oyinaii Ta'rikh (Tajiks in the Mirror of

History, 1997), Javononi Oyandai Millat ( The Future Youth of the Na-

tion, 1998), "Farhang Hastii Millat Ast ("Culture is the Existence of

People", Dushanbe, 2001), Tojikiston: Dah soli istiqloliat, Vahdati Milli

va Bunyodkori (Tajikistan: Ten Years of Independence, National Unity

and Foundation Building, Dushanbe, 2001), and others.