Chaired by President Emomali Rahmon, the 15th congress of the ruling People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT) was held in Kokhi Borbad complex in Dushanbe on December 18.
According to the Tajik president’s official website, 1473 delegates from all regions of the country participated in the congress.
After approving the work schedule and agenda of the congress, a number of issues related to its activities in the past five years and work programs and plans for the next five years were discussed, including preparations for the next elections to the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber r of parliament) and local legislatures.
President Emomali Rahmon was reelected Chairman of the PDPT. Maliksho Nematzoda was elected First Deputy Chairman, Umeda Abdullozoda andd Mirzoqosim Karimzoda were elected deputy chairpersons of the party.
Another issue on the congress’s agenda was the nomination of candidates for election to the Majlisi Namoyandagon from a single republican constituency.
The congress delegates reported supported the candidacies of 28 people and nominated them to participate in the upcoming elections.
The congress also approved the new composition of the PDPT Central Executive Committee, the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the Party, and other bodies of the party structures.
During the congress, the PDPT pre-election program, which includes the most important areas of the country's economic and social development in 2025-2030, was approved, and the Party's Central Election Headquarters was established.
The PDPT is the only political party in Tajikistan that has its offices in Dushanbe and in a number of cities and districts of the country.
The party now has its offices in eighteen cities and districts across the country. In some districts, the party rents buildings for its district organizations.
The PDPT organizing committee was established in 1993, and the party itself was established on December 10, 1994. Until April 1998, it was called the People's Party of Tajikistan.
The party stands for a secular state and society (secularism).
The People’s Democratic Party is the largest political party in Tajikistan, boasting more than 900,000 registered members. President Emomali Rahmon is chairman of the party.
The party has its branches in all regions and largest settlements of Tajikistan. The youth wing of the party is called the Sozandagoni Vatan (Creators of the Motherland).
At the latest legislative elections that took place on March 1, 2020, the PDPT won 65.4 percent of the vote and 51 out of 63 seats.
At the previous parliamentary elections, March 1, 2015, the ruling party won 65.4 percent of the vote and 51 out of 63 seats. At the legislative elections that took place on February 28, 2010, the PDPT won 71.69% of the popular vote and 45 out of 63 seats. At the parliamentary elections that took place on February 27, 2005, the PDPT 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.
The People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan has bilateral cooperation with foreign political parties including the Russia's ruling party United Russia, with the ruling Nur Otan in Kazakhstan, with the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, and with the Communist Party of China.