DUSHANBE, January 16, Asia-Plus — An extraordinary congress of the Democratic Party (DPT) held in Dushanbe on January 14 elected Saidjaffar Ismonov chairman of the party.
Saidjaffar Ismonov had formerly been first deputy leader of the DPT run by Masoud Sobirov. The congress also elected Tavarali Ziyoyev, Mizro Nouriddinov, Sunnatullo Mirzoyev and Mahmoud Kholov as deputy leaders of the party.
The newly elected DPT leader said in his interview with Asia-Plus that the congress had also decided to make changes and addenda to the party’s Rules. According to him, of 35 delegates invited to attend the congress, 25 were present, “that is a quorum necessary to hold the congress was provided.” “In the near future, we plan to submit documents to the Ministry of Justice and give a news conference,” Ismonov said, noting that the former party leader Masoud Sobirov had not fulfilled his duties properly.
For his part, Masoud Sobirov claims that a January 14 congress was illegal. He, in particular, told Asia-Plus that some 20 members of the party’s managing board had not been invited to the congress. “They just do not agree with my initiative about unification with the Mahmadruzi Iskandarov-run wing of the party and illegally removed me as party leader,” said Sobirov, “However that may be, the Ministry of Justice officially recognized me as party leader and I remain the party leader up to now.”
In the meantime, Rahmatullo Valiyev, deputy head f the DPT led by Mahmadruzi Iskandarov, notes that the Sobirov-run wing is gradually destroying itself . “Such consequences have been predictable because the wing was established illegally,” Valiyev said, adding that they intend to send a letter about illegality of the Sobirov-run wing of the party to Justice Minister Bakhtiyor Khudoyorov. “We hope the new leadership of the ministry will make an unbiased decision on this issue.”
We will recall that senior leaders of the Sobirov-run DPT met in Dushanbe on December 24 and removed Masoud Sobirov as party leader. They named his first deputy, Saidjaffar Ismonov, as acting chairman of the party. They noted that the main reason for the move was Sobirov’s statement about possible unification with the Iskandarov-run DPT, which was reportedly made without the consent or authorization of the party’s managing board.
