DUSHANBE, October 9, 2008, Asia-Plus — Institutions of civil society currently do not have any serious influence on a lawmaking process in Tajikistan, participants at the roundtable meeting, entitled “Participation of the Civil Society Institutions in Lawmaking Process,” remarked in Dushanbe on October 8.
The roundtable meeting, organized by the Dushanbe weekly
Jomea
(Society) and the public association Journalist, brought together lawyers, representatives of political parties, NGOs and media to discuss issues related to making participation of civil society’s institutions in the lawmaking process in Tajikistan more active.
Speaking at the meeting, known Tajik lawyer Ashourboy Imomov noted that to regulate that situation it is necessary to give the right of legislative initiative also to central bodies of the officially registered political parties in the country.
We will recall that under Tajikistan’s Constitution, the right of legislative initiative belongs to a member of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament), a deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), the president, the government, and the Gorno Badakhshan regional legislature. The Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and High Economic Court have the right of legislative initiative on issues relating to their powers.
Muhiddin Kabiri, the leader of the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT) also deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon, noted that he had worked out a bill on freedom of religion and religious organization as MP from the IRPT but his colleagues, the majority of whom are members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDPT), had not seconded it.
Imomov noted that he had familiarized himself with Kabiri’s bill and considered it to be perfect. “Authorities themselves have worked out five bills on freedom of religion and religious organizations since 2006, but they have not been adopted because of considerable shortcomings,” said the lawyer, “The ruling party is still not able to work out an adequate bill and just ignores initiatives offered by other parties.”
The IRPT leader, for his party, noted that media have not been quite active in that direction and there are few NGOs such as NGO Law and Society that have tried to make their contribution to the lawmaking process.
A series of these roundtable meetings are held under financial support of the UK Embassy in Dushanbe.
