The People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT), which is ruling party of the country, will convene its regular 13th congress in mid-December. Some 2,000 delegates from all regions of the country will participate in this congress, an official source within the party told Asia-Plus in an interview.
The previous 12th congress of the party that took place in December of 2014 reportedly brought together 1,200 delegates.
The upcoming 13th congress is said to elect candidates who will run for the parliament next year and review the results of the outgoing year’s work.
The PDPT is the only political party in Tajikistan that has its offices in Dushanbe and in a number of cities and districts of the country.
The party now has its offices in eighteen cities and districts across the country. In some districts, the party rents buildings for its district organizations.
The PDPT organizing committee was established in 1993, and the party itself was established on December 10, 1994. Until April 1998, it was called the People's Party of Tajikistan.
The party stands for a secular state and society (secularism).
The People’s Democratic Party is the largest political party in Tajikistan, boasting more than 500,000 registered members. President Emomali Rahmon is chairman of the party.
The party has its branches in all regions and largest settlements of Tajikistan. The youth wing of the party is called the Sozandagoni Vatan (Creators of the Motherland).
At the legislative elections, February 27 and March 13, 2005, the PDPT won 74% of the popular vote and 52 out of 63 seats (74 percent of the popular vote). This was an increase from the 2000 elections, in which they won 64.9% of the vote and 38 seats. At the legislative elections, February 28, 2010, the party won 71.69% of the popular vote and 45 out of 63 seats. At the last legislative election, March 1, 2015, the PDPT won 65.4 percent of the vote and 51 out of 63 seats.
