DUSHANBE, April 4, Asia-Plus  -- “A rally of Social Democrats planned for April 8 will be held in Khorog despite everything,” Rahmatillo Zoirov, the leader of the Social-Democratic Party (SDPT), said in an interview with Asia-Plus. 

According to him, positions of government bodies and law enforcement agencies as well as political parties by no means will have an impact on SDPT’s intentions. 

We will recall that the SDPT regional organization for Gorno Badakhshan on March 13 announced its intention hold a rally in Khorog on April 8, noting that they intend to raise issues related to validity of resolution of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) of 2002 on ceding 96,000 hectares of Pamir Mountain range to China, recent resolution of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) on redistricting six villages in GBAO’s Darvoz district into the Tavildara district, which is subordinate to the center, as well as local police’s tough treatment of the population.   

“Therefore, I suppose the GBAO authorities should conduct negotiations with the central government to assist with holding this rally in which we plan to raise topical issues of nation-wide significance,” Mr. Zoirov said, adding that negotiations between the SDPT board and the GBAO authorities on the planned rally are under way.   “We want them to participate in the rally as well in order to provide pubic order.”   

Mr. Zoirov added that he himself will not participate in the rally.  He justified this by saying that he does not want to restrict powers of the main organizers with his presence.

As it had been reported earlier, the majority of political parties functioning in the region have not supported SDPT’s intention to hold a rally in Khorog.  Besides, the GBAO regional public council met in Khorog on April 2 to discuss the planned rally and its implications.  The meeting participants voted for refusing SDPT supporters’ application for holding the rally.