DUSHANBE, April 7, 2009, Asia-Plus — A meeting of visiting delegation of the European Parliament with deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament also leader of the Islamic revival Party (IRPT) Muhiddin Kabiri and known Tajik cleric also member of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda was held at the head office of the European Commission Delegation to Tajikistan in Dushanbe on April 6.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Hikmatullo Sayfullozoda, a spokesman for the IRPT, said that the new religion law had been one of major topics of the meeting.
“Tajik MPs expressed their concern about some provisions of the new law,” said the spokesman, “The sides also discussed the present parliamentary election code of the country.”
The IRPT leader noted that the present law on elections to the Majlisi Oli (Tajik parliament) did not meet requirements of democratic elections, Sayfullozoda said.
According to him, they also discussed issues related to visit of Muhiddin Kabiri to the European Parliament scheduled for late May – early June.
The European Parliament (Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU). Together with the Council of the European Union (the Council), it forms the bicameral legislative branch of the Union’s institutions and has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world. The Parliament and Council form the highest legislative body within the Union. The Parliament is composed of 785 MEPs (Member of the European Parliament), who serve the second largest democratic electorate in the world (after India) and the largest trans-national democratic electorate in the world (342 million eligible voters in 2004).
