Social Democratic Party chairman Rahmatullo Zoirov said on 26 June that he has submitted his resignation as an aide to President Imomali Rakhmonov to protest the conduct of the 22 June referendum in which an overwhelming majority of voters reportedly endorsed sweeping constitutional amendmendments. The Tajik leadership ignored the Social Democratic Party\'s public criticism of those amendments. Zoirov said it would be politically unethical for him to continue to hold both positions. He said he will now concentrate his efforts on preparing for the parliamentary elections in 2005. (Interfax)