DUSHANBE, June 22, 2015, Asia-Plus — A new leader of Sozandagoni Vatan (Homeland Builders), which is the youth wing of the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDP), has been elected.
“The Sozandagoni Vatan board held a meeting on June 22 and Abdullo Rahmonzoda, a lawyer with the PDP Central Executive Committee, was elected to head the organization,” Usmon Soliyev, the head of the PDP public relations department, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
“Besides, three deputy heads of Sozandagoni Vatan were elected; they represent the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), Khatlon and Sughd,” Soliyev added.
We will recall that Sozandagoni Vatan leader Isfandiyor Abdurahmonov resigned in April this year. He noted on his Facebook page that he resigns “because regionalism and enmity prevail within the organization.”
Isfandiyor Abdurahmonov, who is the head of the Tajik Jewelers’ Association, was elected leader of Sozandagoni Vatan in early January this year, replacing Adham Mamurzoda, who now works with President’s Executive Office.
Meanwhile, Sozandagoni Vatan activists have harshly criticized their former leader Isfandiyor Abdurahmonov.
In a statement released last month, they, in particular, the Sozandagoni Vatan board opposed appointment of Abdurahmonov as the head of the organization initially.
“But the PDP deputy leader Asror Latifzoda assured us that Isfandiyor Abdurahmonov is a good organizer and a talented manager but we have not seen these qualities in his work. At the same time, we have convinced of his obstinacy, non-acceptance of the majority opinion, and inability to work together as a team” the statement says, noting that Abdurahmonov accuses the organization of regionalism unfoundedly.
The PDP created the Sozandagoni Vatan organization in 2011 and its founding conference took place on July 27, 2011. The organization was registered with the Ministry of Justice in November 2011.
To-date, some 30,000 young people have joined the organization. Besides, some 52,000 young people who are members of the PDP have automatically become members of Sozandagoni Vatan.
The main objective of the organization is in fostering a spirit of patriotism, devotion to ideas of national self-consciousness and independence of the country in the young generation.
