DUSHANBE, April 9, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- We expect the president to voice specific recommendations on improvement of the socioeconomic situation in the country in his annual address to parliament, the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) leader Muhiddin Kabiri, who is also deputy of Tajikistan’s lower houses (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament, told Asia-Plus in an interview today.

“We hope this year’s address will differ from the previous ones both by structure and content,” said Kabiri.  “In his annual address to parliament, the president usually makes an emphasis on theoretical issues or issues that are not related to seeking solution to socioeconomic problems facing the country.”

“Thus, last year’s address focused mainly on the law on holding parents responsible for their children’s actions and education, and before that the general issue for discussion was the law on observing national traditions and rituals,” IRP leader noted. 

“In this year’s address the emphasis should be made on issues related to seeking solution to the socio-economic problems, overcoming energy crisis and relations of Tajikistan with neighboring countries.  I hope society will receive precise responses and clear forecasts for coming two-three years,” Kabiri said.

As CPT leader I also would like to receive response to the question about the future relations of the government with political parties and civil society, especially against the backcloths of documents that were published by some websites recently, he said.  “Many now question authenticity of these documents, but they, however, affected the internal situation in the country,” Kabiri noted.

We will recall that according to some media sources, Polyarnaya Zvezda on March 1 published an article entitled “Tajikistan on the Eve of Revolution.”  The article covered a meeting in which President Emomali Rahmon allegedly ordered security services to increase surveillance of local religious groups and members of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan.

President Emomali Rahmon will make an annual address to parliament at a joint meeting of the Majlisi Namoyandagon and the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) that will take place on April 20.

Representatives of the government as well as diplomatic missions and international organizations active in the country have been invited to attend the meeting.

In his annual address to parliament, the president usually touches upon general issues related to domestic and foreign policy of the government as well as socioeconomic development of the country.