Civil War-Era Commanders Creating New Tajik Opposition Group

Quvvatali Murodov, former leader of Tajikistan's Popular Front party

Ex-leaders of Tajikistan's former Popular Front party have announced plans to resurrect the party to help unite the political opposition in the Central Asian nation.

An ex-leader of the former party, Quvvatali Murodov, told RFE/RL that the revived party will be called the Popular Front Without Weapons.

He added that the revived party’s goal is to unite former fighters and field commanders, who fought on both sides in the 1992-1997 civil war, and other political activists, to get them "involved in solving social and economic issues and participating in Tajikistan's political processes."

The announcement of the party's revival on May 16 comes as Tajik political groups have started preparations for presidential elections due in November, 2013.

President Emomali Rahmon has ruled Tajikistan for almost all of the past 20 years.