The eldest son of Tajikistan’s president, Rustam Emomali, who has recently been appointed as mayor of Dushanbe, cannot be elected to Tajikistan’s upper house (Majlisi Milli) of parliament until the end of this year.
Many local experts, proceedings from the fact that all heads of provinces, large cities and districts are members of the Majlisi Milli, expect that Rustam Emomali will be elected to the Majlisi Milli soon.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) of Tajikistan say only citizens who reached 30 years of age are eligible to be elected to the Majlisi Milli.
As far as Rustam Emomali is concerned, he will be 30 years old on December 19, 2017.
Recall, the constitutional referendum took place in Tajikistan on May 22, 2016. The referendum included 40 proposed amendments and voters could either vote "yes" or "no" to the package of amendments. It was not possible to vote on individual amendments.
The most important proposed amendments included eliminating the term limit for incumbent President Emomali Rahmon, lowering the age of eligibility to become president, and banning the creation of political parties based on religion.
The term-limit amendment applies only to Emomali Rahmon, who owns the status of the “Leader of the Nation.”
The amendment lowering the presidential age limit from 35 to 30 would allow Rahmon’s 29-year-old son, Rustam Emomali, to stand at the next presidential elections, scheduled for 2020.
The minimum age requirement for candidates for parliament, and positions in the constitutional court, has also been lowered to 30 from 35.
The incumbent speaker of the Majlisi Milli, Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev, has held this post since April 2000.
The upper house of Tajikistan's parliament, the Majlisi Milli, held its first session on April 17, 2000, and Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev was elected Majlisi Milli chairman, which is the second highest post in Tajikistan.
