DUSHANBE, March 16, 2010, Asia-Plus — Under the RT Constitutional Law “On Elections to the Majlisi Oli,” the Session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) is convoked by the president during a month after its election.
According to the Majlisi Namoyandagon press service, the first regular sitting of the first session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the fourth convocation is taking place in Dushanbe today.
As usual, the first regular sitting will consider a number of organizational issues. The Majlisi Namoyandagon will elect the chairman and his deputies and adopt the Reglament of its activity.
The Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon is elected by secret ballot by a majority of the total number of members of the Majlisi Namoyandagon. The procedure for electing deputy chairmen of the Majlisi Namoyandagon is determined by the Reglament of the Majlis.
The fist sitting of the Majlisi Namoyandagon will be opened by the eldest member, who will conduct the sitting until the chairman of the Majlis is elected.
The Majlisi Namoyandagon is the professional parliament and it effectuates its works in the form a Session. The Session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon is conducted during a year, from the first working day in October to the last working day in June.
We will recall that parliamentary elections were held in Tajikistan on February 28, 2010.
Of 63 seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon, 22 seats come from party lists. The remainder is elected in first-past-the-post races.
The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDPT) won elections in 39 of 41 single-mandate constituencies and two other seats in the single-mandate constituencies were split between the Agrarian Party (APT) and the Party of Economic Reforms. Besides, 16 members of the PDPT, two members of the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT), two members of the Communist Party (CPT), one member of the APT and one member of the Party of Economic Reforms were elected to the parliament through he party list system.
In all, PDPT won 55 seats out of 63 in the Majlisi Namoyandagon. The results mean little changed from the previous parliament where PDPT held 57 seats.
According to some experts, Shukurjon Zuhurov, formerly Minister of Labor and Social Protection, will be elected Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon.
