DUSHANBE, June 6, Asia-Plus – Precipitate statement by Rahmatullo Valiyev may deteriorate relations between members of the Democratic Party (DPT) even more, Saidjaffar Ismonov, who was elected as a new leader of the party at a January 14 congress of the party, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
He said, “Although I support an idea of unification of Democrats as a whole, I cannot agree with what Valiyev stated at a briefing yesterday.”
“I did not state at the court that the congress initiated by Masoud Sobirov [on August 27, 2006] was illegitimate as Valiyev claims,” said Ismonov, “If I had stated this it would had meant that I ignored the decisions made that congress that elected me as the first deputy chairman of the party.”
According to him, the problem is that Masoud Sobirov, who was elected as the party leader, has done nothing to revive the party. “That is I said in the court on May 14, and I did not call in question the August 27 congress’ legitimacy,” Ismonov said.
He further added that so-called wings still exist within the DPT, in particular the wing led by Mahmadruzi Iskandarov and the wing run by him. “However, a process on establishment of relations between the wings is going on,” said Ismonov, “We ought to discuss together further moves to achieve this goal, listen to each member of the party’s board and make a compromise.”
We will recall that the ministry of justice (MoJ) in February denied a request by Saidjaffar Ismonov to be recognized as the leader of the Democratic Party. Ismonov filed the request on the basis of a January 14 party congress that removed Masoud Sobirov. The MoJ denied Ismonov’s party”s application for official registration. The ministry said that the party”s original application was rejected due to clauses contradicting the party statute. The justice authorities said the January 14 congress was held in violation of the party”s charter and Tajik law, and that the ministry will continue to recognize Sobirov as the party”s legitimate leader.
