DUSHANBE, October 14, 2013, Asia-Plus – A statement adopted at the 8th extraordinary congress of the Social-Democratic Party of Tajikistan (SDPT) that took place in Dushanbe on October 12, in particular, says that the party will boycott the 2013 presidential election set for November 6 if its conditions are not fulfilled.
The following conditions have been laid down by the SDPT:
- To declare the 2013 presidential election illegitimate because it is held on the basis of imperfect and unfair law creating unequal conditions for political parties and candidates and because of falsifications during the signature-gathering process and deprivation of 1.5 million migrations of the right to participate of the signature-gathering process;
- To recognize participation of incumbent President Emomali Rahmon in the 2103 presidential election illegal, because under the statutory Constitution Emomali Rahmon does not have a legal leg to run on;
- The SDPT fully supports the pre-election concept of the Tajik Association of Reformist Forces (TARF) and implementation of this concept, which is based on democratic reforms and development of Tajikistan. The TARF has failed to realize its opportunities to participate in the presidential election;
- The SDPT considers that only Ms. Oynihol Bobonazarova’s pre-election campaign staff has gathered the signatures in accordance with the country’s legislation, and therefore, Ms. Oynihol Bobonazarova has the right to be registered and participate in the presidential election, because in other cases falsifications took place;
- Tajikistan has faced constitutional crisis during the presidential election process. If Ms. Bobonazarova’s candidacy is not registered to run for president, and President Rahmon’s candidacy is not withdrawn because he does not have a legal leg to run on or conclusion on and real interpretation of Part 4 of Article 65 of the Constitution of Tajikistan is not made by the Constitutional Court o Tajikistan and the Majlisi Oli (Tajikistan’s parliament) until November 1, 2013, the SDPT will boycott the 2013 presidential election…
SDPT leader Rahmatillo Zoirov told journalists on October 12 that the Center for Religion and Tolerance Studies has been set up at the party.
Founded in 2002, the Social-Democratic Party was registered on December 20, 2002. It was originally registered as the Party of Justice and Development in 1999. Tajikistan”s Ministry of Justice requested the same year that the Supreme Court ban the party”s activities and its registration was canceled. The party re-emerged and was registered under the name of the Social-Democratic Party in late 2002.
Chairman of the Social-Democratic Party is Rahmatillo Zoirov and the party reportedly has 7,700 members.
Meanwhile, Shermuhammad Shohiyon, the head of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) told journalists on October 12 that the CCER was ready consider issues regarding registration of Ms. Oynihol Bobonazarova as a presidential candidate. According to him, if her campaign staff had submitted the documents, the commission would have considered them during the day in accordance with the established order. Mr. Shohiyon did not say what kind of decision the CCER would have taken.
