DUSHANBE, February 4, 2014, Asia-Plus — Members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will run unopposed in by-elections to Tajikistan’s upper house (Majlisi Milli) of parliament that are scheduled for February 15.
“Nine persons have been registered to run in the upcoming by-elections to the Majlisi Milli to fill seats that became vacant after nine members of the Majlisi Milli resigned,” Abdumannon Dodoyev, the head of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER)’s office, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, ballot papers have already been printed and they will be distributed to electoral commissions in the near future.
We will recall that Shodikhon Jamshedov, Governor of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), Davlatsho Gulmahmadov, Governor of Khatlon Province, Abdurahmon Qodiri, Governor of Sughd Province, as well as Abdulghaffor Rahmonov, Mayor of Kulob, Boboali Tabarov, Mayor of Tursunzoda, Khairullo Safarov, Director General of Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) NBO Roghun, Farhod Rahimov, President of the Academy of Sciences, Saidburhon Abdurahmonov, Chairman of GBAO’s Darvoz District, and Khudoyor Khudoyorov, Chairman of GBAO’s Rushan district, have been nominated for the Majlisi Milli.
All of them are members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party.
Nine members of the Majlisi Milli of parliament resigned on December 16, 2013.
Former governor of Sughd province, Qohir Rasoulzoda, who was appointed Prime Minister of Tajikistan, resigned from his post of first deputy chairman of the Majlisi Milli.
Former governor of the GBAO, Qodir Qosim, who was appointed to head the State Committee on Investments and State-owned Property (GosKomInvest), resigned from his post of deputy chairman of the Majlisi Milli.
Former chairman of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP) Khayrullo Asoyev, who was appointed Minister of Transport, also resigned from the Majlisi Milli.
Besides, six other members of the Majlisi Milli, including ex-president of the Academy of Sciences Mamadsho Ilolov, ex-mayor of Norak Homid Abdulloyev, ex-governor of Khatlon Province Ghaybullo Afzalov, ex-mayor of Turusnzoda Davlatsho Gulmahmadov, ex-chairperson of GBAO’ Rushan District Qobilamo Ghulomshoyeva and ex-chairman of GBAO’s Darvoz district Shamsmuhammad Nazriyev, reportedly resigned of their own accord.
Under the country’s legislation, the CCER holds by-elections within the next three months after parliamentarians’ resignation. The CCER has scheduled the by-elections for February 15, 2014.
The Majlisi Milli is the upper chamber of the Tajik parliament with 33 members. Three-fourths of the total number of members of the Majlisi Milli are elected at joint meetings of people’s deputies of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region and its towns and districts, regions and their towns and districts, Dushanbe city and its districts, towns and districts subordinate to the centre, on the basis of indirect elections by means of secret ballot. The Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region, regions, Dushanbe City, towns and districts subordinate to the center have an equal number of representatives in the Majlisi Milli (five each).
One-fourths of the members of the Majlisi Milli are appointed by the President. Besides, each former President of the Republic of Tajikistan shall be the life member of the Majlisi Milli, if he doesn’t refuse to use this right.
The Majlisi Milli effectuates its work in the form of a Session. A Session of the Majlisi Milli is convoked by the Chairman of the Majlisi Milli not less than twice a year.
