DUSHANBE, April 10, Asia-Plus – Tajikistan’s ruling People’s Democratic (PDPT) has fielded its candidates in two May 20 parliamentary by-elections, Nazira Safarova, an official with the organizational department of the Khatlon regional government, said.
According to her, deputy Khatlon prosecutor, Mahmadamin Hisoriyev, will run for a seat representing the Yovon constituency in the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), which had been held by Tojinisso Mahmadova. The position had been declared vacant because Mahmadova had been appointed deputy Khatlon governor.
Safarova noted that the PDPT had also fielded its candidacy to run for the seat representing the Jomi constituency in the Majlisi Namoyandagon. She added that the Agrarian Party (APT) had also fielded its candidate in a May 20 parliamentary by-election in the Jomi constituency. We will recall that the seat representing the Jomi constituency in the Majlisi Namoyandagon had been held by Jurakhon Kabirov, who had been appointed to head the country’s anticorruption agency.
We will recall that candidates nominated by the PDPT have won in three April 1 parliamentary by-elections.
In the Hamadoni constituency, Safarali Gulov won with 96 percent of the vote, with his opponent, Abdulqodir Hasanpour of the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT), garnering just 2 percent of the vote.
In the Firdavsi (Dushanbe) and Kulob constituency, the PDPT candidates ran unopposed. Deputy chairman of the Supreme Court, Mahmadali Vatanov, ran for the seat representing the Firdavsi (Dushanbe) constituency in parliament and former interior minister Khumdin Sharipov ran for the vacant seat in the Kulob constituency.
Thus, the People”s Democratic Party continues having some 73 percent majority in the Majlisi Namoyandagon. At present it is controlling 46 of 63 seats in Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament. Before by-elections, it controlled 48 seats in parliament.
