DUSHANBE, June 12, 2013, Asia-Plus — The date for the upcoming presidential election is expected to be announced at a joint meeting of both chambers of parliament that will take place in early August.
The Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper house of parliament) Chairman, Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev, stated this at the extraordinary session of the Majlisi Milli in Dushanbe on June 12.
According to him, President Emomali Rahmon is scheduled to meet with representatives of the public, political parties, regional administrators and clerics on July 4 to discuss the most important political and economic issues.
“Since the majority of members of the Majlisi Milli will be invited to that meeting, I propose to convene the next session of the Majlisi Milli on July 5,” Ubaidulloyev noted.
We will recall that the President of the Republic of Tajikistan is elected by national vote for the seven-year term. President Emomali Rahmon won a third term in office in November 2006 by capturing more than 79% of the total vote.
The president, who is directly elected, is both the head of state and the head of government. The president appoints the prime minister and all the members of the government, with parliamentary approval. Tajikistan is thus a presidential republic. Tajikistan held a constitutional referendum on June 22, 2003 and the 2003 Constitution, among other amendments, set a limit of two seven-year terms for the president. Emomali Rahmon’s election to the office of the president in 2006 counts as his first 7-year term under the 2003 Constitution, and in principle he may be re-elected for a second term in 2013, remaining in office until 2020.
