DUSHANBE, January 13, 2016, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan reportedly plans to lower the minimum age required to be elected President of the Republic.
An official source at Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament says it is the main amendment proposed to Tajikistan’s basic law (Constitution).
The current minimum age required to be elected the President of Tajikistan is 35. Thus, Article 65 of Constitution of Tajikistan states that every citizen of Tajikistan who has been resident in Tajikistan for not less than the past ten years and who has reached the age of 35 may be elected President.
The amendment offered to the Constitution provides for lowering the minimum age required to be elected President of Tajikistan to 30.
We will recall that MP Mahmadali Vatanov reportedly suggested at a January 11 meeting of the Majlisi Namoyandagon board (Shuro) that the Majlisi Namoyandagon committees and commissions should discuss amendments offered to the basic law (Constitution) of the country and define a date for referendum on the offered constitutional amendments.
Draft amendments to the Constitution have been prepared under conditions of secrecy and even parliamentarians are not aware of their essence.
Meanwhile, one of the offered constitutional amendments reportedly concerns the Constitution’s articles on political parties (ban on registration of political parties of religious nature).
According to Article 28 of Tajikistan’s Constitution, citizens shall have the right of association. “A citizen shall have the right to participate in the creation of political parties, including the parties of religious, democratic and atheistic nature, trade unions, and other social associations and to voluntarily join and withdraw from them.”
