DUSHANBE, December 26, Asia-Plus  -- The 10th congress of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDPT) that was held in Dushanbe today reelected President Emomali Rahmon as the party leader.

The congress, in particular, considered a number of organizational issues, including election of the new composition of the party’s board (Central Executive Committee).

Safar Safarov, the first deputy speaker of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), was elected the first deputy chairman of the party, replacing Davlatali Davlatzoda.

Speaking at the congress, President Rahmon noted that Davlatzoda would run in the 2101 parliamentary elections in single-mandate constituency # 9 (Roudaki district).

The congress also elected the new composition of the PDPT’s Central Executive Committee that consists of 67 members.  Among those elected to the Central Executive Committee is also the president’s son Rustam Rahmon, who heads the small and medium enterprises development support department within the State Committee for Investments and State-owned Property Management.

Speaking at the congress, Emomali Rahmon noted that the party now numbered 125,000 members.