DUSHANBE, July 6, 2015, Asia-Plus -- In a report released at a  news conference in Dushanbe, Khudoberdi Kholiqnazr, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Tajikistan, noted on July 6 that the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRP) does not have the right to speak on behalf of the whole United Tajik Opposition (UTO).

According to him, the share of the IRP in the UTO was only 25 percent.

Only two people represented the Islamic Revival Party in the inter-Tajik peace negotiations in the 1990s.  “In all, eight people represented the United Tajik Opposition in the inter-Tajik peace negotiations, including two each from the IRP, two representatives of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan (DPT) and the Center of Democratic Forces of Tajikistan in the CIS nations and one each from Lali Badakhshon and the Migration Center of Tajiks, “Mehr,” Tajik think tank head noted.

It is not correct when former members of the UTO today speak on behalf of the United Tajik Opposition, Mr. Kholiqnazar noted.  “Let each political organization speak on behalf of itself,” he said.

On the possible closure of the Islamic Revival Party, Mr. Kholiqnazr noted that nobody has the right to ban activities of political associations if they act within legal boundaries.

“But if a political party commits illegal acts, it should be put in its place,” Tajik think tank head added.