DUSHANBE, December 16, 2009, Asia-Plus — Consideration and confirmation of the new composition of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) is among major topics of a regular sitting of the sixth session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) of the third convocation that is taking place in Dushanbe today.
Muhammadato Sultonov, a spokesman for the Majlisi Namoyandagon, said the session would also considered a number of bills requiring addenda and changes to some country’s laws.
We will recall that President Emomali Rahmon on December 14 signed a decree setting parliamentary elections for February 28, 2010. The head of state also sent a list of new members of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) for confirmation to the Majlisi Namoyandagon.
The Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) has a staff of 15 and of old staff members of the commission, unaffiliated Mirzoali Boltuyev (chairman), unaffiliated Mizrob Kabirov, member of the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT) Jamoliddin Mahmoudov, member of the Communist Party (CPT) Vera Naimova and members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDPT) Saidmurod Taghoyev and Nizomiddin Zohidov will continue to work with the CCER and nine new members have been included to complete the CCER staff.
The Majlisi Namoyandagon has 63 members, who are directly elected for a period of 5 years. 22 are elected through a proportional, party list system from a single, countrywide constituency. To win seats, parties must pass a five percent threshold. The remaining 41 members are elected from single-mandate constituencies under a majoritarian system. In the single mandate constituencies, candidates must win an absolute majority of votes to be elected. If none of the contestants manages to win an absolute majority during the first round, a second round of voting is held between the two leading candidates two weeks later. For any of the elections to be valid, there must be at least a 50% voter turnout.
