DUSHANBE, December 4, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- A session of the Public Council of Tajikistan has opened in Dushanbe today morning.

Presided over by President Emomali Rahmon, the session has brought together representatives from public associations, political parties, religious organizations, creative unions and ethnic communities.

Senior representatives of political parties and experts consider that issue related preparations for the parliamentary elections due in February 2010 will be a major topic of the session.

They added that it could not be ruled out that the issue of participation of the population and public associations in construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP) through buying shares in Roghun would also be discussed at the session. 

The Public Council of Tajikistan was established in April 1996 on the basis of the Public Accord Agreement signed first on March 9, 1996 for the period of three years by pro-government political parties and NGOs in a show of support for the peace process.  It was prolonged for further three years in 1999.

The Public Council now comprises representatives of state bodies, political parties, religious organizations and civil society.  Seven of eight officially registered political parties of the country are represented in the Public Council.  The Public Council established the Social partnership Club, which brings together some 70 representatives of the Public Council to discuss and find consensus on pressing social issues.