DUSHANBE , January 5, Asia-Plus - The Agrarian Party of Tajikistan (APT) does not intend to seek coalition with the People’s Democratic Party (PDPT) to participate in the presidential elections due in November this year, the APT chairman Amir Qaraqulov announced at a briefing in Dushanbe today.   

Qaraqulov gave a news conference in connection with article entitled “Tajikistan.  Till the presidential elections it remains…” by leader of Tajikistan’s Social-Democratic Party, Rahmatillo Zoirov, posted on the website www.centrasia.ru on December 19, 2005. 

“Nobody, except congress, has the right to determine out political actions,” said Qaraqulov, “The Agrarian Party of Tajikistan as political party intends to determine its position independently, in accordance with its program documents.”

“In the mentioned article, the SDPT leader expresses his opinion and sight of the upcoming presidential elections in Tajikistan and predicts that the Agrarian Party will seek coalition with the PDPT,” Qaraqulov noted.  

“Claims that our party is allegedly the pro-government one is his personal opinion,” said the APT head, “Probably, muddle and vacillation within the SDPT are forcing the party’s leadership to seek moral and financial support from elsewhere rather than from its supporters,” a statement made by the APT leadership says.    

“At present our party is carrying out an active work aimed at creating and strengthening its structures and increase its numbers,” Qaraqulov read out the party’s statement at the news conference.