QURGHON TEPPA, August 21, Asia-Plus – By decision made by the organization of the Democratic Party (DPT) for Khatlon the head of the DPT organization for the Bokhtar district, Ahmadjon Dodarjonov, has been expelled from the party.
Ms. Gulnora Ghoziyeva, the deputy head of the DPT for Khatlon, “The parties regional organization has made such a decision after Ahmadjon Dodarjonov collected signatures for the formation of a Vatan (Homeland) faction within the party.”
“Inspection by the party’s commission has revealed that all 200 signatures collected by Ahmadjon Dodarjonov proved to be forged,” said Ms. Ghoziyeva, “Firstly, it turned out that people that signed a statement are members of the party, and secondly, according to people, whose names were put on the list, they did not sign any papers.”
“The statement was allegedly signed by members of the DPT organizations in Jilikul and Vakhsh districts,” said Gulnora Ghoziyeva, “While the Democratic Party does have its primary organizations in these districts.”
“For violating the party’s rules Ahmadjon Dodarjonov has been expelled from the party,” Ms. Ghoziyeva said, noting that a district conference will be held in Bokhtar within the next few days to elect new head of the party’s organization in this district.
Besides, it has been decided to appeal to the law enforcement agencies against Ahmadjon Dodarjonov for theft of documents of the party’s regional organization, according to her.
For his part, Mr. Ahmadjon Dodarjonov admitted in his interview with Asia-Plus that he had taken the party’s documents and given them to Mirzo Nuriddinov, one of founders of the “Vatan” faction. Dodarjonov justified his action by saying that the DPT administration had promised to help him develop his farmland but had done nothing. “Members of the “Vatan” faction, for their part, have promised that they will be able to assist me and I joined them for this,” Mr. Dodarjonov remarked in his interview with Asia-Plus.
A split in Tajikistan”s Democratic Party has sparked charges and countercharges. Masoud Sobirov held a news conference in Dushanbe in late March this year to announce the formation of the Vatan faction within the party. Sobirov said that Vatan recognized the party”s overall leadership for now, but he warned that the party has fallen out of touch with developments outside the capital and has failed to win any seats in the last two parliamentary elections. Rahmatullo Valiyev, the DPT deputy head, charged that the faction was formed in violation of party regulations and suggested that the authorities might be behind the attempt to force a split.
