New Party for Tajik Migrants
New Party for Tajik Migrants
A new party for Tajik migrant workers abroad could become a serious domestic political force even though most of its prospective voters are in Russia, NBCentralAsia observers say.
The Vecherny Dushanbe newspaper reported last week that Karomat Sharipov, the leader of the Tajik diaspora community in Moscow, had announced plans to set up a political party for labour migrants living in Russia. The party will arise out of Association of Tajik Public Organisations.
Tajik community leaders in Russia have repeatedly criticised the Tajik government and the country’s Moscow embassy for failing to look after the interests of their nationals who are working as migrant labour. Estimates of the number of migrants vary between 400,000 and 1.5 million.
Sharipov complained that the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan does not have anything in its programme that mentions protecting the interests of migrant workers abroad.
“We want to register [the party] with the [Tajik] justice ministry so as to be able to influence the political situation in Tajikistan,” he said.
The commonest problems facing Tajik migrants include being mistreated by Russian police, targeted in street violence, and working for employers who ignore their rights.
Khurshed Atovulloev, editor-in-chief of the Faraj newspaper, said politicians in Tajikistan have traditionally underestimated the potential of migrant workers as a constituency.
“Any political force that is able to get labour migrants involved in the political process will realise that they could become a serious force capable of swaying election results,” said Atovulloev.
His namesake Dodojon Atovulloev – no relation – a prominent opposition journalist in Moscow, announced the formation of a different party, called Vatandor (Compatriot). It too hopes to win the migrant vote, and plans to campaign for a “violet revolution” in Tajikistan. At the time it was set up, many people expressed scepticism that these plans would bear fruit.
Rahmatillo Zoirov, leader of the Tajik Social Democratic Party, has welcomed the emergence of a party for migrants, saying it could help address their problems by working with the Tajik government and coming up with recommendations and proposals.
Zoirov said his own party would be happy to cooperate with the new group. “They need all the help they can get right now,” he said.
Political observer Parviz Mullojanov is less optimistic about the party’s chances.
“Sooner or later, the party’s human rights agenda will take a back seat, and it will start raising entirely political issues,” he said.
Mullojanov does not believe the new party will be officially registered in Tajikistan because the authorities could see it as a threat to the current balance of power inside the country. This is all the more true, he said, as the party will most probably be led by the current heads of the Association of Tajik Public Organisations, who are known for their harsh criticism of government bodies.
The Tajik justice ministry told NBCentralAsia that there should be no obstacles to granting the party registration provided it is established according to the country’s political party law, follows the correct procedures and collects the required number of signatures.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
The Vecherny Dushanbe newspaper reported last week that Karomat Sharipov, the leader of the Tajik diaspora community in Moscow, had announced plans to set up a political party for labour migrants living in Russia. The party will arise out of Association of Tajik Public Organisations.
Tajik community leaders in Russia have repeatedly criticised the Tajik government and the country’s Moscow embassy for failing to look after the interests of their nationals who are working as migrant labour. Estimates of the number of migrants vary between 400,000 and 1.5 million.
Sharipov complained that the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan does not have anything in its programme that mentions protecting the interests of migrant workers abroad.
“We want to register [the party] with the [Tajik] justice ministry so as to be able to influence the political situation in Tajikistan,” he said.
The commonest problems facing Tajik migrants include being mistreated by Russian police, targeted in street violence, and working for employers who ignore their rights.
Khurshed Atovulloev, editor-in-chief of the Faraj newspaper, said politicians in Tajikistan have traditionally underestimated the potential of migrant workers as a constituency.
“Any political force that is able to get labour migrants involved in the political process will realise that they could become a serious force capable of swaying election results,” said Atovulloev.
His namesake Dodojon Atovulloev – no relation – a prominent opposition journalist in Moscow, announced the formation of a different party, called Vatandor (Compatriot). It too hopes to win the migrant vote, and plans to campaign for a “violet revolution” in Tajikistan. At the time it was set up, many people expressed scepticism that these plans would bear fruit.
Rahmatillo Zoirov, leader of the Tajik Social Democratic Party, has welcomed the emergence of a party for migrants, saying it could help address their problems by working with the Tajik government and coming up with recommendations and proposals.
Zoirov said his own party would be happy to cooperate with the new group. “They need all the help they can get right now,” he said.
Political observer Parviz Mullojanov is less optimistic about the party’s chances.
“Sooner or later, the party’s human rights agenda will take a back seat, and it will start raising entirely political issues,” he said.
Mullojanov does not believe the new party will be officially registered in Tajikistan because the authorities could see it as a threat to the current balance of power inside the country. This is all the more true, he said, as the party will most probably be led by the current heads of the Association of Tajik Public Organisations, who are known for their harsh criticism of government bodies.
The Tajik justice ministry told NBCentralAsia that there should be no obstacles to granting the party registration provided it is established according to the country’s political party law, follows the correct procedures and collects the required number of signatures.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
