DUSHANBE, June 12, Asia-Plus — The Socialist Party of Tajikistan (SPT) is the first among political parties of the country to offer its amendments to the parliamentary election law.
The amendments were discussed at the first meeting of the working group for consideration of changes and addenda to Tajikistan’s laws on elections to the Majlisi Oli (Tajikistan’s parliament), and election of members of local legislatures that was held in Dushanbe today.
The SPT, in particular, suggests that registration fee (the parliamentary election code requires candidates to pay a registration fee in an amount equivalent to 200 minimum monthly wages) should be canceled. They also propose to determine a quota for women running for elections to the parliament and local legislatures.
The meeting took into consideration proposal by the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) to cancel the parliamentary election law’s requirement under which a candidate for parliament should live the last five years in Tajikistan.
The meeting participants also took in account proposal of Abdughani Mamadazimov, the head of the Association of Political Scientists of Tajikistan on defining a status of election observers nominated by civil society (representatives of NGOs, political parties, trade unions and media).
According to Muhibullo Dodojonov, an official with the CCER, the working group, which consists of representatives of president’s office, MPs, as well as representatives of political parties and public associations, is dedicated to submit amendments proposed to the parliamentary election law for consideration of parliament be the end of parliamentary recess, which will start on June 1 and last through September.
It is to be noted that the SPT representatives themselves did not attended the meeting. Representatives of the Islamic Revival (IRPT) and Agrarian (APT) parties as well as representatives of president’s office did not take part at today’s meeting as well.
