DUSHANBE, March 16, 2010, Asia-Plus — Deputies of the new Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) have elected Shukurjon Zuhurov chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon.
The first regular sitting of the first session of Majlisi Namoyandagon of the fourth convocation is being held today. President Emomali Rahmon, Chairman of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) Mirzoali Boltuyev and Chairman of the Constitutional Court Mahkam Mahmoudov are also attending the first sitting of the first session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the fourth convocation.
The first sitting was opened by the eldest member, Amirqul Qaraqulov, who is leader of the Agrarian Party (APT). He conducted the sitting until the chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon was elected.
At first, the sitting considered a number of organizational issues.
At the suggestion of MP Shermuhammad Shohiyon, MP Shukurjon Zuhurov was nominated as candidate for the position of chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon.
The chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon is elected by secret ballot by a majority of the total number of members of the Majlisi Namoyandagon. MPs voted for Shukurjon Zuhurov unanimously.
Shukurjon Zuhurov was born in the Panj district, Khatlon province on September 17, 1954. He graduated from the Moscow Institute of Land Use Planning Engineers in 1976 and took course at the Russian Academy of Public Administration in 1992.
He was member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the third convocation from February 2005 to November 2006.. He represented the Qubodiyon district in the parliament.
From November 2006 through November 2006, Zuhurov was chairman of the Fund for Social Protection of the Population. From December 1, 2006 till March 10, 2010, he was Minister of Labor and Social Protection. From March 2010, he is member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon.
Shukurjon Zuhurov is member of the People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan. He is married with five children.
We will recall that parliamentary elections were held in Tajikistan on February 28, 2010.
Of 63 seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon, 22 seats come from party lists. The remainder is elected in first-past-the-post races.
The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDPT) won elections in 39 of 41 single-mandate constituencies and two other seats in the single-mandate constituencies were split between the Agrarian Party (APT) and the Party of Economic Reforms. Besides, 16 members of the PDPT, two members of the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT), two members of the Communist Party (CPT), one member of the APT and one member of the Party of Economic Reforms were elected to the parliament through the party list system.
