President Islam Karimov calls for peace & tranquillity in society - II
(Speech by President Islam Karimov at the festive ceremony dedicated to the 13th anniversary of Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan)



Dear friends!

Time passes by inexorably and 2005 declared the “Year of Health” in our country is about to draw to close.
We have all grounds to stress with satisfaction a great deal of work carried out and grand positive results achieved this year whose main meaning and essence is expressed in the motto “Only the healthy people, healthy nation are capable of great deeds”.
Availing myself of this opportunity, I would like to briefly dwell on how projects and events carried out this “Year of Health”, contributed, above all, to raising the healthcare sphere to a new level and positively affected the lives of our people, our nation.
I believe that the scale of work in this direction is evidenced by the fact that during the year 38 medical centers and hospitals were rebuilt, undergone capital repair or reconstructed, while 93 treatment – recreational clinics were provided with modern medical equipment.
Also, the putting into operation of outpatient clinics capable of receiving 10,500 per shift, and in particular, 210 rural medical posts shall undoubtedly serve treatment of numerous patients and prevention of diseases.
Specifically, as a result of capital repair and reconstruction of rural medical posts 800 thousand our countrymen were able to receive quality medical treatment and 2 million people were rendered additional service, which should be considered as an important step in this direction.
It should specially noted, that these kinds of exemplary works are carried out not only in the capital, but also in all provinces and districts.
In particular, new clinics have been built in Kogon town of Bukhara province and Yangibozor district of Khorezm province, while a new maternity hospital center opened in Bogot district.
A great deal of construction and repair work has been carried out at the central hospital of Qorauzak district in Karakalpakstan and central hospitals in Andijan, Jizzakh, Samarkand and Namangan provinces have been provided with necessary medical equipment. Over UZS 1,5 billion have been spent for these works.
Besides, the newly established medical and social infrastructure installations include cardiology and specialized urology centers in the town of Karshi, the Oqdaryo branch of an ambulance center in Samarkand province, a sanatorium for war and labor veterans in Ghallaorol district of Jizzakh province, a new unit at “Chimgan” sanatorium and a children aqua park in Ferghana city.
Also, the central and local centers of the republican ambulance were provided with 127 special cars and modern communication means, which will certainly contribute to enhancing the efficiency of this medical service.
On the basis of two medical institutions in the capital the Tashkent Medical Academy has been set up to train qualified personnel capable of meeting modern demands in the sphere of healthcare.
A teacher-training center has now started operating within the Academy. Besides, one thousand students began studying at three new medical colleges, which will also serve improving the level of training the medical personnel.
In the "Year of Health" the serious results we have achieved in the most important sphere for us – safeguarding the motherhood and childhood, reproductive health, increasing the medical culture, as well as bettering the family health, brings joy to all of us.
Especially, it is worth attention the improvement of the screening system of mothers and children, premarital medical examinations, expansion of measures aimed at patronage and inoculation of pre-one-year old babies, and other important events have led to decrease in the death of babies by 7, 4 percent compare to last year, and the cases with regard to death of mothers – by 6, 8 percent.
This year two more such modern medical centers – the screening centers in Urgench and Navoi – joined nine other already available in our country.
We have to admit openly, at the moment not everyone can bear the costs of travelling to our capital or other big cities in order to visit the qualified doctors, go through necessary medical procedures, and receive consultations. Especially, we do understand well that this is a serious issue for the people, residing in far and countryside areas.
While taking this into consideration, in March through September this year the "Health" medical – sanitary trains have been sent to the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Khorezm, Bukhara, and Navoi provinces, known for their harsh natural conditions. Everyone has remained glad of the fact that more than 20,000 people were allowed go through medical examinations at the sites.
Along with that, certainly it is worth mentioning that during the summer school vacations 247,000 pupils have gone to summer student recreational camps, organized by the Ministry for Public Education and Republican Federation of Labor Unions.
For over the past period, yet another exemplary practice has been introduced aimed at strengthening the health of the population – special flour, enriched with iron for the purposes of fighting anemia, was set for the production. At the same time, we have designed the separate program on the iodine deficiency, and now it is under realization.
I think, you are aware of what kind of infectious diseases are now spreading around the world.
This problem requires constant vigilance and watchfulness on the part of all of us, and above all, of the medical employees. We should underscore with great joy that as a result of timely measures and efforts on the part of medical employees the penetration of such dangerous diseases into our territory has been prevented. And, we should specially express our gratitude to medical personnel, who have contributed in not allowing such evils onto our doorsteps.
In 2005 we continued our activities in safeguarding the health of lonely elders and disabled, as well as the neediest, and this demonstrates that this issue is of priority attention to us.
As an example we can cite that there were more than 2,500 children from poorer families in Kashkadarya, Samarkand, Jizzakh, Syrdarya, Tashkent provinces and city of Tashkent were medically examined jointly with foreign specialists. In addition, we could state that 280 disable children have had plastic surgeries in cooperation with “Soghlom Avlod Uchun” Foundation.
Obviously, it is not difficult to imagine that these activities require professional skills and major resources and they made it easier for hundreds of parents with their problems and concerns. But the most important that children themselves had started to look at the world, with new visions, hopes and beliefs.
To the good deeds we could add that 4,000 veterans of war and labor, disable people have had an opportunity to improve their health in National Center of gerontology for 150 places, which was created under the “Nuroniy” health-center.
It is worth attention that in specialized medical-centers nationwide 15,570 similar group of patients had treatments and the total number for the last year exceeded 2,500 people.
In particular, more than 2300 of patients have received treatment in the centers of urology, surgery, eye surgery and cardiology of the republic. More than UZS 1.5 billion were allocated from state budget for that purpose.
We can draw many similar examples.
Substantial works on strengthening of the legal framework of the public health service have been done this year.
In particular, it includes the elaboration of the draft law on medical activity, which at the present time is being discussed. Moreover, making additions and amendments to the laws on citizens’ healthcare, on medicine and pharmaceutical activity is under consideration.
In the framework of another contemporary issue, which is envisaged by the “Year of the Health” program, comprehensive propaganda and agitation works are taken aimed at increasing of medical culture of the population, forming of life views and approaches related to a healthy way of life.
Therefore, it is necessary to mention that more than 80000 activities on different themes and directions were held nationwide, in which more than 2 million of people had taken part.
In particular, two-volume book “Basics of healthy way of life” was published, more than 1200 programs were broadcast via central and regional TV and radio channels, a TV marathon “Four times no!” was organized on the television.
In this context, methodical recommendations and multimedia programs issued under the title “Year of health: essence and importance” undoubtedly will serve to increase the medical culture of the population.
The use of modern information resources, in particular, Internet, with the purpose of propaganda of the healthy way of life, prevention of drug addiction and spread of AIDS among pupils and students is widely adjusted.
At the same time, meetings and discussions aimed on propaganda of reproductive health of women and healthy family are carried out in suburban makhallas (local neighborhood).
I believe it is necessary to stress the activities taken in order to make a physical training and going in for sports as a rule of our life.
We have to accept that the organization of various competitions, sport games during the year in makhallas, enterprises and establishments, primarily a result of special attention paid to the popularization of sport in our country.
Obviously, participation of nearly 3, 5 million women in sport events deserves special praise and testifies the increased level of their involvement.

To be continued......

Time to unite
Khalid Khokhar

Without adequate warning, natural calamities are always most anguishing, most scary, especially when you have some attachment with the territory and its inhabitants. The Oct 8 earthquake not only killed and maimed tens of thousands but it also made millions of people homeless. It was a double onslaught as it not only shook our bodies but also shook within ourselves. Nothing of this magnitude has ever happened before - more devastating than Indo-Pak wars of 48, 65, & 71, more challenging than the settlement of millions of Muslims during India's partition in 1947, higher than the massive scale of destruction of the Quetta earthquake of May 31, 1935, and much worse than last year's tsunami in terms of people made homeless and the extent of damage to the infrastructure. Reports indicate widespread severe damage to Balakot (almost completely wiped out), Garhi Habibullah, Rawalakot, and Muzaffarabad (near the epicenter) where 73,000 are thought to have died. The quake triggered landslides, burying entire villages and roads in many areas of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The Nation is confronted with the gigantic task ahead of them. The government is using all its resources to overcome the worst earthquake disaster, and at the same time, sought assistance from the world community as soon as the extent of the quake was realized. The international response has been swift, but to rehabilitate a population of four million people, it is beyond the capacity of any one country requiring more than $10 billion in an effort that can take up to 10 years. Even the developed countries are not prepared to handle such like sudden catastrophe. New homes, schools, businesses, towns, and the infrastructure have to be built for the people rendered homeless. At the present time, the army, NGOs, voluntary groups, contingents from numerous foreign governments and certain religious organizations are devoting their selfless contribution to the quake-ravaged victims. The role of Pakistan Army in providing relief to quake victims has been appreciated the world over. Nevertheless, mammoth work of reconstruction and rehabilitation will follow later.
The existence of opposition parties in a democratic arrangement is indispensable to the functioning of parliamentary political systems. The division between government and opposition is as old as political democracy itself. The role of an opposition party is to check and prod, but ultimately to replace the government party. Healthy criticism of the government is always welcomed as it offers competent assessments of the government's proposals and performance with the view to educate the public opinion. But, the policy of the opposition parties is to wait for the government to commit mistakes in the relief activities so that they could highlight them. The opposition members instead of demonstrating unity in this time of a war-like situation are busy to settle scores against the government by nullifying its efforts to the earthquake catastrophe. Let us see the complaints of the opposition parties one by one.
The first major objection of opposition parties is that the government's response to the natural disaster was "slow in coming". The former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto and Chief of Tahrik-e-Insaaf, Imran Khan have criticised Pakistan Government for delay in sending relief to the earthquake affected area of Pakistani administered Kashmir. The objection of the opposition is unsubstantiated and aimed to downplay the sincerest efforts of the Government. As it was the biggest and sudden catastrophe, therefore, the nation was not prepared. But even then, the government has been very prompt in reaching out to the marooned people and carrying out relief and rescue work. The UN has appreciated the government's timely mobilization of all available resources and personal participation of the President and PM in the relief efforts by attaching high priority to the relief work in the earthquake affected areas. Pakistan Army troops engaged in round-the-clock relief work in quake-hit areas of the NWFP and Azad Kashmir right from the day one. The troop's good coordination in relief work has been appreciated the world over, which is reflective of the professionalism and devotion to duty.
The opposition's second criticism was the return of exiled leaders Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto as a pre-condition for their participation in the government-sponsored all-party conference aimed at discussing relief measures. Well, in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake when thousands of people have been killed, it is "unbecoming" on the part the opposition parties for "bargaining". The top priority of the opposition parties should be to help those who have lost their families or are waiting for assistance to be able to survive. It is lamentable that every time the government approached the opposition parties on any national issue, they started demanding permission for the exiled leaders to return home and withdrawal of cases against them. Such demands would be of little help in improving conditions of the displaced people of Azad Kashmir and the NWFP. At best, Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto can do, is to mobilize their party workers to come out and help the earthquake victims.
The third major criticism of opposition is that they have not been "taken into confidence." The government wants to move ahead with national consensus behind it. But the opposition did not attend the Donors' Conference saying that if they had attended, it would have given the world a message that Pakistani nation is one during its hour of trial. People from 85 countries participated in the meeting and helped us, only opposition did not attend it. The opposition is indecisive now what to do. Today the nation is united on one platform. Army, civil institutions, government and volunteers are working in unison. The government has accepted all the three demands of the opposition, i e constitution of parliamentary committee of both houses of parliament, transparency in utilisation of funds through pubic audit, and invitation to all the parliamentary leaders to attend the occasion. It is not government's responsibility alone, but a national cause of the entire Pakistani nation to come to the help of devastated countrymen.
Another complaint of the opposition leaders is deployment of Army for the work of rehabilitation and reconstruction, which should, instead, be done by the government's civilian organs and agencies. There seemed to be no logic in this proposal. The logic of deploying the army for rescue and rehabilitation work in calamitous situations is simple. It is the most professional and highly trained force in the country and has exceptional ability to confront any unexpected situation than any other civilian force. In the past, Pakistan defence forces rendered very useful services in rescuing and rehabilitating the victims after every inland flood, internal strife, bomb blast disposal, anti-dacoit operations, bigger train accidents, etc. Pakistan Army has also earned fame for themselves and also for the nation because of its dedicated and professionally skilful service in UN peace-keeping at Congo, Chechnya, Sri Leone, Somalia, Rwanda, Cambodia, Bosnia, Haiti, etc. Those countries where Pakistan Army rendered peace-keeping service unreservedly appreciate the role of the army. Even the UN rates Pakistan Army very high in this regard.
How can the opposition come forward to the help of devastated compatriots? To me, it should be by supporting the government in its endeavour to provide relief to the earthquake victims and give concrete suggestions in this regard. It is not the prerogative of the opposition to implements plans. At the most, they may forward suggestions and recommendations. The opposition members, as well as the treasury, in parliament can perform brainstorming so as to contribute constructive to overcome the psychological impacts of the disaster. A determined and collective action can help us tackle other challenges that cannot be addressed alone, such as the uphill task of reconstruction and rehabilitation. Hopefully, this natural catastrophe will bring us together as it is revealed that how vulnerable we can be alone and yet how much more we can do together.

No elections will be credible while occupation continues
Harith Al-Dari

Iraq has a long history of civilization that has contributed both knowledge and wisdom to humanity. For many centuries, Islam also immunized Iraq against religious or sectarian strife and protected its population from the oppression that peoples of the ancient world had been subjected to. Generation after generation of Iraqis succeeded in maintaining peaceful coexistence among their diverse sects and races, despite the hardships and challenges they faced. It is by virtue of this cohesion that Iraq managed to rise up again and put its house in order in the wake of every calamity.
In recent times, one of the most difficult periods has been the past 35 years, during which Iraq was subjected to one-party rule by a minority that dragged the country through a series of misadventures, with heavy losses for the Iraqi people. During the last chapter of that painful era, Iraqis were for many years punished with sanctions that caused the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, most of them children. The sanctions ended with an invasion, followed by an occupation by US and British troops, in total complete contravention of international law and in defiance of the UN. The invaders resorted to pretexts that soon proved to be false, including the lie about weapons of mass destruction.
Things became much worse under occupation, which has delivered none of the promised dividends of democracy, freedom, security and prosperity. Instead, Iraqis have been living in fear, poverty, oppression and a lack of freedom.
The occupation troops have resorted to excessive force, indiscriminate killing and collective punishment of the population. They have besieged entire towns, storming into them, instilling fear and horror among residents and destroying their homes. Iraqis have been humiliated and stripped of their basic human rights; they have been subjected to brutal and ghastly forms of torture, as the infamous Abu Ghraib prison case and the British troops’ abuse of detainees in Basra have shown.
In the meantime there has been a scandalous failure by successive Iraqi governments to attend to the basic needs of the population. There has been a continuous rise in unemployment, which has been used to force young men to join the military and security establishments, which in turn throw them into the furnace of a destructive, yet futile, war. Many other young men find themselves drawn into drug trafficking because Iraq has become a theater for this sinister industry although it had until the invasion been one of the few countries in the world that had no significant drugs problem.
The conduct and motivation of the occupation authorities were suspect right from the start, when they encouraged the organized theft of public properties; left weapon dumps unguarded; dissolved the Iraqi Army and replaced it with militias whose agendas are incompatible with the collective interests of the Iraqi people; and when it introduced sectarian and racial quotas in political life, paving the way for serious sectarian and racial conflict that has been exploited by some political groups for their own exclusive ends.