DUSHANBE, October19, Asia-Plus - Like the previous week, two different editions of the newspaper Adolat (Justice) published by the Democratic Party (DPT) appeared in Dushanbe on October 19 as well.

One version edited by Rajab Mirzo, was published by the party’s wing headed by the imprisoned Mahmadruzi Iskandarov and the other was published by the Democratic Party run by Masoud Sobirov, who was recently recognized by the Ministry of Justice as the DPT leader.   

On Masoud Sobirov’s intention to appeal to the Prosecutor-General’s Office against Rajab Mirzo, Tajik Prosecutor General Bobojon Bobokhonov noted at a recent news conference in Dushanbe that it is not in competence of the Prosecutor-General’s Office “to settle inner-party conflicts.”  

The publishers of both editions denounced each other’s publications as illegal.  Sobirov says the Ministry of Justice has recognized them and in accordance with the party’s rules only they have the right to publish the party’s official newspaper Adolat.  While Rajab Mirzo notes that only they have a license for publishing Adolat.

In the meantime, Rahmatullo Valiyev, the deputy head of Iskandarov-run DPT said in an interview with Asia-Plus that the Ministry of Justice “is not authorized to recognize or not recognize that or this political party.”  According to him, only a decision of court may solve this issue.  “While for the time of being nobody may forbid us to publish Adolat,” Valiyev said.

He added that they had applied to the Ministry of Justice offering to hold a roundtable meeting that would bring together representatives from both wing and the ministry to seek solution to this problem.