The leader of the Social-Democratic Party of Tajikistan (SDPT), Rahmatillo Zoyirov, says he will not put forward his candidacy for president. He has also expressed hope that his party board will boycott the upcoming presidential election.
In a statement released on August 24, SDPT leader notes that the incumbent president does not have the right to be leader of the political party and the multi-party system has been destroyed in the country.
“Actually, a one-party system has been established in the country,” reads the statement posted on Zoyirov’s Facebook page.
In his statement, SDPT leader accuses political parties officially registered in the country of betraying the interests of the people.
According to him, while adopting the law on the “non-party” Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER), these parties colluded with the authorities and voted for formation of electoral commissions by the head of state, executive power and the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT).
“Of 31,000 members of electoral commissions of all levels, more than 25,000 are members of the PDPT,” Zoyirov says.
“As a national of Tajikistan and leader of the SDPT, I do not intend to participate in ensuring the legitimacy of the illegal, anti-constitutional and anti-popular election of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan,” SDPT leader not, expressing hope that the SDPT Political Council will support his statement and boycott the upcoming presidential election.
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 about 8,000 members.
