The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which is the ruling political party of Tajikistan, and United Russia, which is the ruling political party of the Russian Federation, have signed a cooperation agreement.

“The document was inked here by Saidmurod Fattohzoda, First Deputy Head of the People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan, and Sergei Zheleznyak, Deputy Secretary of the United Russia General Council,” Usmon Soleh, the head of the PDP public relations department, told Asia-Plus in an interview.

According to him, the agreement provides for exchange of experience, information and delegations between the parties as well as training of party personnel.

Founded in 1994, the People’s Democratic Party is the largest political party in Tajikistan, boasting more than 480,000 registered members.  President Emomali Rahmon is chairman of the party.

At the legislative elections, February 27 and March 13, 2005, the party won 74% of the popular vote and 52 out of 63 seats (74 percent of the popular vote).  This was an increase from the 2000 elections, in which they won 64.9% of the vote and 38 seats.  At the legislative elections, February 28, 2010, the party won 71.69% of the popular vote and 45 out of 63 seats.  At the last legislative election, March 1, 2015, the PDP won 65.4 percent of the vote and 51 out of 63 seats.

United Russia is the current ruling political party in the Russia Federation.  It is the largest party in Russia; as of 2017 it holds 342 (or 76.22%) of the 450 seats in the State Duma.  The United Russia Party formed in December 2001 through a merger of the Unity Party and the Fatherland – All Russia Party. 

Although the United Russia Party's popularity declined from its peak of 64.4% in the 2007 Duma elections to 49.32% in the 2011 elections, it remained the most popular party in the country, ahead of the second-placed Communist Party at 19.19%.  In the 2016 elections it received 54.2%, while the second-place Communist Party received 13.3%.

The Party has no coherent ideology; however, it embraces specific politicians and officials[4] with a variety of political views who support the administration.  The Party appeals mainly to non-ideological voters; therefore, United Russia is often classified as a “catch-all party” or as a “party of power.”  In 2009 it proclaimed “Russian Conservatism” as its official ideology.