The Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan has recognized the extraordinary congress of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan (DPT) as lawful and Shahboz Abror as the new leader of the Democrats.
Tajikistan’s state-run news agency Khovar reports that after 20 days of review, the Justice Ministry approved the decisions of the DPPT extraordinary congress and sent a copy of the official act of registration of the political party to the DPT Political Council in the name of the elected party chairman, Shahboz Abror.
The Ministry’s letter dated May 31 and signed by Deputy Minister of Justice Asadullo Hakimzoda, in particular, states that “the charter of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan has been re-registered with the Ministry of Justice with changes and additions.”
Recall, the 18th extraordinary congress of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan that took place in Dushanbe on May 11 recognized the party's activities carried out over the past two years as unsatisfactory and it was proposed to make changes to the party leadership.
Three candidates were proposed for the position of chairman of the party, namely Shahboz Abror, Abdujabbor Yuldoshev and Ilyosiddin Sidjafarov. The latter withdrew his candidacy.
Of 94 delegates participating in the congress, 64 votes for Shahboz Abror and eight voted for Abdujabbor Yuldoshev.
Thus, based on the results of an open vote, Shahboz Abror was elected chairman of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan.
Saidjafar Usmonzoda, who had headed the party since December 2012, did not attend the congress. At the time, Usmonzoda called that congress illegal and appealed to the Ministry of Justice for a legal assessment. He told Asia-Plus on May 14 that the extraordinary congress had bene held by “an unknown group that removed him and elected a new chairman.”
The Democratic Party of Tajikistan can trace its origins back to the last days of the Soviet Union. Registered on June 21, 1991 and banned by the Supreme Court on June 21, 1993, the Democratic Party of Tajikistan was reregistered on December 3, 1999.
At the end of 1990s, two factions laid claim to the Democratic Party of Tajikistan: the Almaty platform led by Mahmadruzi Iskandarov and the Tehran platform run by Azam Afzali. The Tehran platform later transformed itself into the Taraqqiyot (Progress) Party.
On October 5, 2005, the Supreme Court sentenced DPT leader Mahmadruzi Iskandarov to 23 years in prison. The sentence followed his conviction on charges of terrorism, the embezzlement of state funds, and the illegal storage of weapons, though his supporters say he was jailed for political motives.
The party split into two factions again and the Ministry of Justice recognized Masoud Sobirov as the legitimate leader of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan in October 2006.
Democrats in the Sughd province and the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) as well as some primary organizations of the party in other regions of the country did not recognize Masoud Sobirov as the party leader and they demanded convocation of the extraordinary congress of the party.
An extraordinary congress of the party took place in Dushanbe on December 23, 2012 and Saidjafar Usmonzoda was elected as chairman of the party.
DPT leaders claim that the party now has more than 80,000 members
Meanwhile, according to information posted on DPT’s official website, the party has had 52,000 members as of January 1, 2022.
Some sources noted in 2019 that the Democratic Party of Tajikistan has not more than 20,000 members.
