DUSHANBE/KULOB, March 30, Asia-Plus — All international observers having expressed wish to monitor a voting process in parliamentary by-elections set for April 1 were registered at Tajikistan’s Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) on March 29.
Muhibullo Dodojonov, a spokesman for CCER, said in an interview with Asia-Plus that a list of international observers submitted to the commission by the Ministry Foreign Affairs includes representatives from the embassies of Germany, France, the United States, the Great Britain, the OSCE Center in Dushanbe and the European Commission Delegation in Tajikistan – totaling 13 persons.
Representatives of two political parties – ruling People’s Democratic Party and Islamic Revival Party – will contest three vacant seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament). The CCER registered six candidates for April 1 parliamentary by-elections that will be held in Firdavsi (Dushanbe), Hamadoni and Kulob constituencies.
The country’s budget has provided more than 30,000 somonis (equivalent to nearly US$9,000) for holding the by-elections.
According to CCER, district electoral commissions and electoral commission at polling stations include representatives from various political parties, including the PDPT and IRPT.
In the meantime, the IRPT organization for Kulob stated that is representatives had not been included on electoral commissions at polling stations in Kulob constituency # 37 (the constituency has 46 polling stations). Saidibrohim Nazar, registered as the IRPT candidate for parliamentary by-election in Kulob constituency, has filed suit against the Kulob district electoral commission. Yesterday, Emomali Rahmonov, the head of the district electoral commission for Kulob constituency was summoned to a city court in Kulob and the court ruled that he should include the IRPT members on all electoral commissions at the polling stations.
Saidibrohim Nazar is running for a seat representing the Kulob constituency in the Majlisi Namoyandagon that had been held by Abdujabbor Shamsov. The position had been declared vacant because Shamsov had been appointed deputy interior minister. Saidibrohim Nazar will face the former interior Khumdin Sharipov, nominated by the PDPT, in an April 1 vote.
