Text of report by the Tajik news agency Asia-Plus on 15th February

A joint issue of the `Nidoi Ranjbar' [Toiler's Exclamation] and `Golos
Tadzhikistana' [Voice of Tajikistan] newspapers of the Communist Party of
Tajikistan [CPT] was recently published with a 40,000 circulation - the
first issue to be published after a two-year break.

It carries an interview with the party's chairman, Shodi Shabdolov, the
CPT's election manifesto and a list of the party's candidates in the
upcoming elections. The head of the party's monitoring and auditing
commission, Abduali Abdulloyev, told Asia-Plus on 15th February that the
party had the opportunity to issue the newspaper following the resolution
by the country's Central Electoral Commission allowing parties to spend up
to 4m [Tajik] roubles on their election campaigns. The Communist are
planning to publish several more issues of the newspaper.

Abdulloyev also said that on Monday, 14th February, the CPT leader,
Shabdolov, began an election trip to districts and towns in [southern]
Khatlon Region.

Source: Asia-Plus news agency, Dushanbe, in Russian 0801 gmt 15 Feb 00
BBC Mon CAU 150200/** BB/MI