DUSHANBE, November 20, 2008, Asia-Plus — On Wednesday November 19, Safar Safarov, the first Deputy Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), met with visiting IFES delegation, lad by the Regional Director for Central Asia, Dan Milosevic.
Muhammadato Sultonov, a spokesman for the Majlisi Namoyandagon, said that Safarov had briefed the IFES delegation on work of the country’s professional parliament, laws and resolution adopted by the lower house, and the process of democratization of Tajik society.
The vice speaker highly appraised activity of IFES in Tajikistan and its significant role in democratization of Tajik society.
For his part, Mr. Milosevic hailed achievements reached by Tajik parliament in recent years, the spokesman said.
“Over the past several months, we jointly with the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda and the Center for Strategic Studies have conducted a number of international seminars on the society democratization issues and MPs and representatives of President’s Executive Office, Public Council and political parties have taken part in them,” the regional director said, noting that they will hold such events in cooperation with the Majlisi Namoyandagon in the future as well.
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is the world’s premiere election assistance organization, providing countries with technical advice and tools to run democratic elections. IFES is an international, nonpartisan democracy development organization that works to give people a voice in the way they are governed. Every IFES project is staffed by local personnel and partnered with local organizations. With this homegrown approach, IFES ensures the expertise it offers fits the needs of the country or client and the benefit of assistance outlasts the life of the project.
Since 1996, IFES has assisted Tajikistani educators to develop a program to educate active citizens, conducted survey research, and advised political parties and the election commission on ways to strengthen the country’s electoral processes.
