DUSHANBE, April 10, 2013, Asia-Plus – A meeting of the Political Council of the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) took place in Dushanbe on April 8-9.

According to information posted on IRP’s website, the meeting participants noted that pressure of local authorities on the party has increased since the beginning of this year.

A statement adopted by the meeting participants, in particular, says that representatives of local authorities are impeding activities of the party and persuading people to leave the party.  For this, local authorities are reportedly using clerics.

“The impression is that some representatives of the authorities are aggravating the situation in order to conceal their shortcomings,” the statement said.

The statement notes that some circles are interested in opposing political forces to each other in the year when the presidential election is held for the purpose of implementing their plans.   

Founded in October 1990, the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan was registered on December 4, 1991.  It was banned by the Supreme Court in June 1993 and legalized in August 1999.  Its official newspaper is Najot (Salvation).  According to some sources, IRP now has some 50,000 members.  It won two seats in the 2010 parliamentary elections.  The Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan is the only Islamic party registered in CIS Central Asia.