Khaberni - The president of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, is still out of sight on Wednesday, two weeks after his last public appearance in the former Soviet republic where he has been in power for 33 years.
On Tuesday, the country's first channel started broadcasting songs with sad melodies, and published an image of Emomali Rahmon on a black background with the text «Man of the Sun lineage», and continued broadcasting these clips on Wednesday.
This absence is not usual in Tajikistan, where the activities of the 73-year-old president are covered almost daily by the strictly controlled press.
Authorities tried to dispel doubts, announcing on Wednesday that the president will participate in several activities «in the coming days», noting that his activity schedule is not usually published in advance.
The last video in which the president appeared dates back to January 28, and at that time he was in a meeting with the leaders of the security services.
On Monday, a video published on the official accounts of the president titled «Children immortalize the memory of their fathers if we raised them well» raised questions about his health.
Tajikistan is a mountainous country located on the borders of China and Afghanistan, ruled by Emomali Rahmon since 1992, and he is honored with titles including «Founder of Peace and National Unity» and «Leader of the Nation».
His supporters attribute to him the merit of reunifying the country after the civil war (1992-1997) and reviving the local culture after the Soviet era.
If Emomali Rahmon is unable to continue his duties or resigns or dies, his son Rustam acts as his replacement, as the president of the national assembly according to the constitution.
The constitution also stipulates the organization of presidential elections within three months.
