DUSHANBE, December 24, 2009, Asia-Plus – The Democratic Party of Tajikistan (DPT) run by Masoud Sobirov will hold its pre-election congress in Dushanbe on December 27.
According to the DPT head office, 110 delegate and guests will attend the congress that will take place in the building of the Central Council of Trade Unions of Tajikistan. “We have invited leaders of all political parties officially registered in the country, president’s office as well as representatives of diplomatic missions of a number of countries accredited in Tajikistan, OSCE Office and the Delegation of the European Commission,” the source said.
According to him, the congress will consider the party’s pre-election platform and a list of candidates to run in the 2010 parliamentary elections.
Founded on August 10, 1990 and registered on June 21, 1991, the DPT was banned by the Supreme Court on June 21 1993. It was reregistered on December 3 1999
At first, two factions laid claim to the Democratic Party of Tajikistan: the Almaty platform, which was registered in Tajikistan, and the Tehran platform. The Almaty platform was led by Mahmadruzi Iskandarov, who was sentenced to 23 years in prison on October 5, 2005. He was convicted on charges of terrorism, the embezzlement of state funds, and the illegal storage of weapons. The Tehran platform led by Azam Afzali then transformed itself into the Taraqqiyot Party.
The Democratic Party split after Masoud Sobirov formed a separate faction in April 2006, which the Ministry of Justice recognized as the official Democratic Party in October 2006, and at present there are three DPT factions run by Masoud Sobirov, Mahmadruzi Iskandarov and Saidjaffar Ismonov. The party congress held by Ismonov’s supporters on January 14, 2007, charged Masoud Sobirov with inaction and removed him. They elected Ismonov as leader of the party. But the Ministry of Justice noted that the January 14 congress was held in violation of the party”s charter and Tajik law and denied a request by Saidjaffar Ismonov to be recognized as the leader of the Democratic Party.
