People's Democratic Party (Halq Demokratik Partiyasi)

Membership: 580,000 (UzA, 8 November 2004)

First Secretary: Asliddin Rustamov

Previous Chairman: Abdulhafiz Jalolov (1993-2003)

Founded: 15 November 1991

Newspapers: "Uzbekistan Ovozi" and "Golos Uzbekistana," and "Muloqot" magazine

The People's Democratic Party (HDP in Uzbek) is the heir to the Communist Party of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. Although it is the biggest party in the country -- with more than a half-million registered supporters -- its fortunes nonetheless seem headed for a decline. Newer parties with younger membership rolls are being groomed and President Karimov has said that it is likely the future president of Uzbekistan will come from these parties, not the HDP.

The HDP was always the ruling party in parliament until the Watan Taraqqiyoti Party merged with Fidokorlar in April 2000. Most senior members of government are members of the HDP.


Fidokorlar (Demokratik Partiyasi, Self-Sacrificers)

Membership: 61,000 (UzA, 8 November 2004)

Chairman: Akhtam Tursunov

Founded: 28 December 1998

Newspapers: "Fidokorlar" and "Watan"

The Watan Taraqqiyoti Party merged with Fidokorlar in April 2000.

Fidokorlar is one of the parties that seemed to have been anointed heir apparent -- until the appearance of the Liberal-Democrat Party, that is -- to the original, loyal parties of post-independence Uzbekistan. Though all five of Uzbekistan's registered political parties forwarded President Karimov as their choice in the 2000 presidential elections, it was Fidokorlar's nomination that Karimov accepted.

At its second party congress in November 2004, Fidokorlar reported that it only had 61,000 registered supporters, despite having merged with the Watan Taraqqiyoti party in April 2000. That low figure may reflect the emerging threat Fidokorlar faces from the Liberal-Democratic Party, which was founded in November 2003 and now claims to have 135,000 members. Like Fidokorlar, the Liberal-Democratic Party tries to portray itself as the party of the country's new, young elite.

Fidokorlar targets youth and advocates building an open society and market economy, while at the same time supporting national interests. Members are artists, workers, small- and medium-sized businessmen, intellectuals, and young people.


Adolat Social Democratic Party (Adolat Sotsyal Demokratik Partiyasi)

Membership: 50,000 (figure is according to party)

Chairman: Turgunpulat Daminov

Founded: 18 February 1995

Formed by leaders of Vatan, the United Democratic Opposition of Turkmenistan, and Republican Party of Turkmenistan after meetings in Vienna and Prague in 2003.

Newspapers: "Adolat"

The party supports trade unions and promises to protect the socially vulnerable section of the population.


Liberal-Democratic Party

Membership: 135,000
(figure is according to the party chairman at the second party congress on 25 October 2004; "Narodnoye Slovo" reported on 25 May 2004 that membership is closer to 40,000)

Chairman: Turgunpulat Daminov

Previous chairman: Kabiljon Toshmatov (November 2003-May 2004)

Founded: 15 November 2003

As of early December 2004, the Liberal-Democratic Party seems like the party to watch. Barely one year old, it already claims to have some 135,000 members, placing it second, behind the People's Democratic Party, Uzbekistan's first registered political party.

At a session of parliament in May 2004, President Karimov called the Liberal-Democratic Party "the party of entrepreneurs, of business and of economic reform." He also said the Liberal-Democratic Party was different from the other four registered parties, perhaps hinting at his personal preference.


Milli Tiklanish (National Renaissance)

Membership: 50,000

Chairman: Ibrahim Gafurov

Founded: 9 June 1995

Newspapers: "Milli Tiklanish"

The party says its main tasks are the revival of Uzbek culture, promoting solidarity with the rest of Central Asia, and supporting the idea of a greater Turkestan homeland. Members include intelligentsia, artists, and scholars.


PARTIES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN ALLOWED TO REGISTER

Birlik Popular Movement (Unity)

Membership: Unknown

Founder: Abdurakhim Pulatov and Abdumannob Pulatov

Founded: 11 November 1988

Never registered.


Erk Democratic Party

Membership: Unknown

Leader: Mohammad Solih (currently in exile)

Founder: Mohammad Solih

Never registered.

Founded: 11 April 1990

Never registered.
The ERK Democratic Party calls for following to be national priorities for Uzbekistan:
1. The formation of a national state and army, and a national culture
2. The creation of democratic institutions and a system of democratic administration.
3. The reform of state wage and pricing systems, and subsidies
4. The privatization of land and means of production -- both of which are currently in state control -- and reform of enterprise management
5. The development of the banking and insurance sectors, and the abolition of the state monopoly on foreign trade and production
6. The creation of a legal structure that will support the infrastructure of a free market economic system, and the establishment of a social security system


BANNED PARTIES AND MOVEMENTS

Hezb-ut Tahrir

Membership: Unknown

The Hezb-ut Tahrir movement has its origins in the Palestinian territories and what is now the nation of Jordan. Educated Palestinian refugees founded the movement in the early 1950s. The group's activities in Central Asia were first noted in the mid-1990s.

The group advocates the creation of an Islamic state that would extend over all the lands where Muslims have traditionally lived.

The Uzbek government has banned all activities of Hezb-ut Tahrir and Uzbek law enforcement forces have actively pursued, prosecuted, and imprisoned -- by some estimates, thousands -- of Hezb-ut Tahrir members.

Hezb-ut Tahrir rejects the use of violence and there is no evidence that any of the movement's members in Uzbekistan have participated in any acts of violence.

The Uzbek government continues to insist that Hezb-ut Tahrir is involved in acts of terrorism in the country.


Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan

Membership: Unknown

Leaders: Juma Namangani (reportedly deceased) and Tohir Yuldash

The precise origins of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan are vague but the founders of the movement were Jumaboy Khojayev, better known as Juma Namangani, and Tohir Yuldash (also given as Yuldashev). Both men were from the city of Namangan, in the Uzbek section of the Fergana Valley, and both fought with units of the Islamic opposition in Tajikistan during the 1992-1997 civil war there. Both (although Namangani, especially) were suspected of running a lucrative narcotics trade from Afghanistan into Central Asia.

The IMU staged armed incursions into Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan throughout the summer and fall of 1999, and into 2000. The IMU fought with Kyrgyz and Uzbek troops, demanded the release of jailed Muslims in Uzbekistan, and declared that the group's goal was no less than the overthrow of the Uzbek government.

The IMU has bases in eastern Tajikistan and Afghanistan and was linked to the Taliban movement and their Al-Qaeda guests. The IMU was fighting in Afghanistan alongside Taliban forces in the summer of 2001 and was still there when U.S forces attacked Afghanistan later that year, after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. on 11 September.

The IMU suffered heavy losses at the hands of U.S.-led forces -- Namangani was reportedly killed -- and by November 2001, the group was no longer considered a serious threat.

There have been reports that Tohir Yuldash (reportedly wounded in Pakistan's tribal Waziristan area in March 2004) is trying to regroup the IMU. He was shown in a BBC interview aired in September 2004, denying he had been wounded and vowing to continue with the IMU's campaign.