DUSHANBE, April 27, 2009, Asia-Plus — On Saturday April 25, the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT) nominated the party activist Muhammadali Hoit to replace Muhammadsahrif Himmatzoda in the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), according to the IRPT’s head office in Dushanbe.
As it had been reported earlier, deputies of the Majlisi Namoyandagon on April 22 endorsed resolution on early termination of powers of deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Muhammadsharif Himmatzoda for health matters.
Mr. Muhammadsharif Himmatzoda, who is a spiritual leader of the IRPT, was elected to the Majlisi Namoyandagon through the IRPT list. The IRPT has two seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon – Muhiddin Kabiri and Muhammadsharif Himmatzoda; both of them came to the parliament from the party list.
Of 63 seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon, 22 seats come from party lists. The remainder is elected in first-past-the-post races. The Islamic Revival Party had a party list of only 15 candidates for the 2005 parliamentary elections, while 20 of the party’s representatives ran individual constituencies.
Muhammadali Hoit was the third on IRTP’s list and in case of early termination of powers of the party’s representative in the lower house he should replace him.
In the meantime, Muhibullo Dodojonov, an official with the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER), is continuing to insist that in accordance with the legislation, another member of the IRPT cannot replace Muhammadsharif Himmatzoda today because only nine months remain till the next parliamentary elections. “Under the law, the parliament composition cannot be changed less then one year before the next parliamentary elections,” he said.
However, the IRPT representatives note that those provisions of the parliamentary election law apply only to persons elected to the parliament through individual constituencies.
We will recall that Muhammadsharif Himmatzoda released a statement on April 14, in which he said he intends to vacate his seat in parliament. He resigned in protest after some his benefits had been revoked. Mr. Himmatzoda, who is unable to walk, was refused transport services that had been previously provided to him after he wrote articles critical of the country”s controversial new law on religion and religious associations.
