DUSHANBE, July 22, 2015, Asia-Plus — More than 20 videos showing heads of the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) organizations in the regions who state that they leave the party were posted on a video-sharing website YouTube over the last weekends (July 20 and 21).
Among them is Mulloabbos Rajabzoda, the head of the IRP organization for Sughd province. “The IRP organization for Sughd stops its activities beginning on June 20, 2015,” Rajabzoda noted.
Heads of the IRP organizations in the cities of Khujand, Konibodom and Isfara and the districts of Asht, Ayni, Nourobod, Jirgatol, Rasht and Vose also released via the social networks their video statements about leaving the party.
They, in particular, note in the statements that Islam does not have need in political party and they are supporters of president’s policy.
Some of those video statements even demand the closure of the Islamic Revival Party. Thus, former head of the IRP organization for Sughd and adviser for IRP leader, Ilhon Yoqubov, notes in his statement that the IRP has become the cause of discord in Tajik society and proposes to close the party.
Founded in October 1990, the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan is the only Islamic party officially registered in former Soviet Central Asia. The IRP was registered on December 4, 1991. It was banned by the Supreme Court in June 1993 and legalized in August 1999. Its official newspaper is
Najot
(Salvation). According to some source, the IRP now has some 50,000 members.
Since 1999, the party has reportedly been the second-largest party in Tajikistan after the ruling People”s Democratic Party of Tajikistan.
In the 2005 and 2010 parliamentary elections, the IRP won two out of 63 seats in the parliament, but in the 2015 parliamentary polls the party failed to clear the 5 percent threshold needed to win parliament seats.
The party leaders said the elections were not fair and alleged fraud in vote-counting.
