DUSHANBE, August 18, Asia-Plus — A conference of the organization of the Social-Democratic Party (SDPT) for Gorno Badakhshan to hear reports and elect new officials was held in Khorog on August 16, although it was on the verge of frustration, the SDPT leader Rahmatillo Zoirov told Asia-Plus Monday afternoon.
According to him, Alim Sherzamonov, leader of the SDPT organization in Gorno Badakhshan, applied to the local authorities in late July already for permission for holding of the conference and asking to provide the conference hall at the Khorog mayor’s office to hold the conference.
“At first, the GBAO deputy governor Muhabbatsho Ruzadorov has agreed to provide support but later, he turned his back on the issue, saying “we will solve the issue tomorrow” and a day before the conference, he refused our application for the chamber hall,” the SPDT leader said, noting that they had to hold the conference in another hall.
He further added that the local authorities, especially officers from the GBAO security service, had been impeding holding of the SDPT conference in Gorno Badakhshan. “However, the conference was held and Alim Sherzamonov was reelected as head of the SDPT organization in Gorno Badakhshan,” Mr. Zoirov said.
The conference delegates also discussed issues related the strategy of participation of the party in the parliamentary elections due in February 2010.
The SDPT leader Rahmatillo Zoirov, accompanied by three members of the party’s board, was on his visit to Khorog on August 13-16. During his stay in Khorog, Rahmatillo Zoirov also conducted a roundtable meeting as moderator on August 15. The meeting, staged by the Swiss Cooperation Office (SDC) and the Center for Education and Socioeconomic Development, considered issues related to the problems and strategy of socioeconomic development of the region.
