DUSHANBE, April 21, 2011, Asia-Plus -- No one new political party has applied for registration to the Ministry of Justice in the first quarter of this year, Minister of Justice Bakhtiyor Khudoyorov announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on April 21.

According to him, eight political parties have been officially registered with the ministry to date: the Agrarian Party (APT); the Communist Party (CPT); the Democratic Party (DPT); the Islamic Revival Party (IRP); the Party of Economic Reforms; the People’s Democratic Party (PDP); the Social-Democratic Party (SDP); and the Socialist Party (SPT).

The minister also noted that under the country’s legislation religious parties are prohibited from registering for functioning in Tajikistan.  “Religious parties are prohibited from registering on the territory of Tajikistan,” Khudoyorov stated.

Asked whether the IRP is religious party, the minister said that the IRP was not religious party and “even does not have religious character.”