DUSHANBE, December 29, 2014, Asia-Plus – The pre-election congress of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that took place in the party’s head office in Dushanbe on December 27 endorsed the party list for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The SDP held its pre-election congress in its head office because it reportedly failed to find an appropriate hall for holding the congress. The party was forced to reduce the number of congress delegates from 120 to 60.
The party included 22 candidates in its list for election to Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament. Among the candidates are the SDP members, unaffiliated persons and researchers.
The candidates’ surnames are listed in alphabetical order.
SDP deputy leader Amniyat Abdunazarov tops the party list. Among the candidates are also Abdurahim Abdumannonov, the head of the SDP’s organization in the Asht district (Sughd), Fayziniso Vohidova, a lawyer from Sughd province, Rahmatillo Zoyirov, the leader of the SDP, Buzurgmehr Yorov, a lawyer from Dushanbe, and Shuhrat Qudraotov, a lawyer who is currently under arrest.
Besides, the leader of the unrecognized wing of the Socialist Party (SPT) Mirhusein Narziyev, journalist Ulfatkhonum Mamadshoyeva, the head of the anti-torture public association Mahmoud Odinayev, and economist Hojimuhammad Umarov were included in the SDP list.
Founded in 2002, the Social-Democratic Party was registered on December 20, 2002. It was originally registered as the Party of Justice and Development on February 5, 1999. Tajikistan”s Ministry of Justice requested the same year that the Supreme Court ban the party”s activities and its registration was canceled. The party re-emerged and was registered under the name of the Social-Democratic Party in late 2002. Chairman of the Social-Democratic Party is Rahmatillo Zoyirov and the party reportedly has more than 8,000 members.
