DUSHANBE, February 25, Asia-Plus –The board (Shuro) of Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament considered the draft Ombudsman law at a February 25 meeting presided over by its speaker Saydullo Khairulloyev.
Muhammadato Sultonov, a spokesman for the Majlisi Namoyandagon, said that the board also considered the draft law on architecture and town-planning in the second reading as well as amendments to the lease law.
The board also discussed an agreement on training of military personnel for member nations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a convention between Tajikistan and Turkmenistan on avoiding double taxation, as well as the draft MPs ethics rules.
Some of these issues will be considered at a regular sitting of the fourth session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the third convocation on February 27, the spokesman said.
We will recall that Tajik civil society commented on articles of the draft Ombudsman law in Tajikistan at an OSCE Center roundtable discussion on February 14. The event brought together representatives from civil society, the government and international and diplomatic organizations. Representatives of civil society paid particular attention to articles of the draft law on appointment and investigation powers of the Ombudsman. They proposed that unlike appointments to other governmental positions, appointment and approval of the Ombudsman should be made by the parliament rather than the president. They also expressed concerns about an article allowing the Ombudsman to visit prisons, suggesting the article be clarified to allow one-on-one interviews with detainees.
