Ex-leader of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan (DPT), Mr. Saidjafar Usmonzoda, who is also member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) says an extraordinary congress of the DPT that took place in Dushanbe on May 11 was illegal and a decision adopted at this congress on replacement of the party leader was illegal.
According to him, representatives of the DPT’s organizations in Khatlon province and the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) did not participate in that congress.
“No city and district conferences were held in GBAO, Khatlon and Sughd provinces and the head of the DPT’s regional organization in Sughd province did not have the authority to participate in this congress, since his mandate as chairman expired a year ago…,” says a letter sent by Mr. Usmonzoda to the Ministry of Justice.
Usmonzoda considers himself the legitimate chairman of the DPT and told Asia-Plus in an interview that he held an extraordinary meeting of the DPT Political Council on June 6. Seven of thirteen members of the party’s Political Council reportedly participated in that meeting
“The meeting adopted a decision to submit additional evidence to the Ministry of Justice regarding the extraordinary 18th congress that took place on May 11 and was illegal,” the ex-leader of the DPT said.
Besides, at the meeting, new members were accepted and several veterans, including the party deputy chairman Ahamdshoh Komilzoda, were expelled from the ranks of the party, Usmonzoda added.
Letters by heads of DPT’s regional organizations in GBAO (Murass Narziqulov) and Khatlon province (Qurbonali Haitov) addressed to the Justice Minister Muzaffar Ashouriyon were obtained by Asia-Plus.
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ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЕ
They, in particular, say in their letters that the congress that took place on May 11 was illegal and contrary to the party charter and that “they recognize as the legitimate chairman of the party.”
Concerning the Justice Ministry’s decision to recognize the extraordinary congress of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan (DPT) as lawful and Shahboz Abror as the new leader of the DPT, Usmonzoda said, “The letter sent by the Deputy Minister of Justice, Asadullo Hakimzoda, is controversial, from a legal and moral point of view. I consider it baseless. The Ministry [of Justice] does not have the right to evaluate congresses and internal disputes of parties. It just registers political parties and public associations and accepts their reports. The Ministry of Justice is not a court, and internal party disputes are resolved by the court,” he said.
According to Usmonzoda, they wait for a conclusion from the Ministry of Justice and after its reply, the Political Council of the party will decide whether to go to court or not.
Recall, the DPT extraordinary congress that took place in Dushanbe on May 11 recognized the party's activities carried out over the past two years as unsatisfactory and it was proposed to make changes to the party leadership.
Three candidates were proposed for the position of chairman of the party, namely Shahboz Abror, Abdujabbor Yuldoshev and Ilyosiddin Sidjafarov. The latter withdrew his candidacy.
Of 94 delegates participating in the congress, 64 votes for Shahboz Abror and eight voted for Abdujabbor Yuldoshev.
The Democratic Party of Tajikistan can trace its origins back to the last days of the Soviet Union. Registered on June 21, 1991 and banned by the Supreme Court on June 21, 1993, the Democratic Party of Tajikistan was reregistered on December 3, 1999.
At the end of 1990s, two factions laid claim to the Democratic Party of Tajikistan: the Almaty platform led by Mahmadruzi Iskandarov and the Tehran platform run by Azam Afzali. The Tehran platform later transformed itself into the Taraqqiyot (Progress) Party.
On October 5, 2005, the Supreme Court sentenced DPT leader Mahmadruzi Iskandarov to 23 years in prison. The sentence followed his conviction on charges of terrorism, the embezzlement of state funds, and the illegal storage of weapons, though his supporters say he was jailed for political motives.
The party split into two factions again and the Ministry of Justice recognized Masoud Sobirov as the legitimate leader of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan in October 2006.
Democrats in the Sughd province and the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) as well as some primary organizations of the party in other regions of the country did not recognize Masoud Sobirov as the party leader and they demanded convocation of the extraordinary congress of the party.
An extraordinary congress of the party took place in Dushanbe on December 23, 2012 and Saidjafar Usmonzoda was elected as chairman of the party.
DPT leaders claim that the party now has more than 80,000 members
Meanwhile, according to information posted on DPT’s official website, the party has had 52,000 members as of January 1, 2022.
Some sources noted in 2019 that the Democratic Party of Tajikistan has not more than 20,000 members.
