DUSHANBE, December 11, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan’s Public Council yesterday held a meeting to discuss activities of political parties in the country.

Contribution of political parties to strengthening of the country’s independence was the focus of the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Suhrob Sharipov, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies, noted that contribution of political parties to the strengthening of the country’s independence was insufficient.

He, in particular, noted that in recent years, state has been interested in appearance of new political parties in the country to fill vacuum resulted “from insufficient contribution of so-called constructive opposition parties.”

According to him, activities of political parties that considered themselves to be in constructive opposition has not been efficient and they have not offered specific projects to solve that or other issue.

Sharipov added that although state still needed existence of constructive opposition, society did not need those “passive political forces” any longer.

Abdughani Mamadazimov, the head of the National Association of Political Scientists of Tajikistan, expressed concern about disassociation of political parties in the country.

Eight officially registered political parties now function in Tajikistan: People’s Democratic Party (PDPT); Communist Party (CPT); Islamic Revival Party (IRPT); Social-Democratic Party (SDPT); Democratic Party (DPT); Socialist Party (SPT); Party of Economic Reforms; and Agrarian Party (APT).

Tajikistan’s Public Council was established in March 1996 and its members include political parties, non-governmental organizations and ethnic communities.