DUSHANBE, December 15, 2014, Asia-Plus — A congress of the Party of Economic Reforms (PER) that took place in Dushanbe on December 13 approved the party list for the upcoming election to the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower house of parliament) of the party candidate.
PER leader Olimjon Boboyev says six candidates were included in the party list.
Olimjon Boboyev tops the list, which also includes Doctor of Sciences in Economics Rustam Qudratov, Doctor of Sciences in Economics Mashrab Fayzulloyev, Head of the Chair of Philosophy at Tajik State University Rustram Nazarov, Doctor of Sciences in Economics Abdulatif Rahimov, and post graduate student Shahrbony Mashrabova.
According to Olimjon Boboyev, 10 other candidates of the party will run in single-mandate constituencies.
The Party of Economic Reforms was established by Doctor of Sciences in Economics Olimjon Boboyev in autumn 2005. From the start, there have been strong allegations that the PER is a so-called “pocket party” loyal to the government and it was set up to create the idea of a multiparty-system and to distract the neutral and moderately-opposing voters from the real opposition. The problem-free registration of the party at the Ministry of Justice has justified these allegations, especially since most opposition parties face mounting problems over registration. Also, since its start, the PER has refused to participate in the opposition Coalition for Free and Fair Elections.
Some sources says the PER now has some 20,000 members. The PER has no clear ideology, but advocates for a genuine reform of the structure of the Tajik economy. The PER notes that such a reform is needed in order to support the growth of the economy, most noticeably in the manufacturing of finished products.
