DUSHANBE, February 8, Asia-Plus  -- Abduhalim Ghafforov, leader of the officially registered wing of Tajikistan’s Socialist Party (SPT), does not agree with a statement released by three Tajik political parties over the Russian ambassador’s recent statement that the country''s incumbent president would be unchallenged in presidential elections in November.

As it had been reported earlier, Democratic and Social-Democratic and Mirhusein Narziyev-run wing of Socialist Party said Monday [February 6] that the Russian ambassador''s recent statement was meddling in Tajikistan’s domestic affairs.  The parties also said foreign ambassadors were not authorized to make such statements and asked Abdulatipov "to avoid interfering in Tajikistan''s domestic affairs".  Ambassador Ramazan Abdulatipov said January 24 that incumbent Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov would not have any serious opponents in the upcoming elections.

“”I am legal leader of the Socialist Party and I have not made any statements on behalf of the party with regard to the Russian ambassador,” said Ghafforov, “Moreover, I consider that this statement ha nothing to do with the Socialist Party because Mirhusein Narziyev, who has signed the statement on behalf of the SPT was is not leader of the party and he was expelled from the SPT on December 12 2004 at the extraordinary 6 ^th congress of the party.”  

According to Ghafforov, any speeches, statements and publications by Narziyev as leader of SPT are tantamount to interference in party’s affairs. “If such cases recur we will be compelled to appeal to judicial organs,” Abduhalim Ghafforov stressed.