DUSHANBE, January15, 2015, Asia-Plus — The number of contenders for 22 seats in Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament from party lists has decreased from 125 to 103.
“To-date, 101 candidates for seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon from party lists have already been tested for knowledge of the Tajik language,” said Abdumannon Dodozoda, the head of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER)’s office, told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon.
“Although the term of testing candidates for knowledge of state language has expired, the CCER has extended the term for one day at the request of the Social-Democratic Party because its two candidates from Gorno Badakhshan has failed to arrive in Dushanbe in time,” the CCER official noted.
Beginning on January 19, the CCER will start to register candidates nominated for the parliamentary election that will take place on March 1, 2015.
Eight political parties officially functioning in the country will compete for 22 parliamentary seats from party lists.
According to documents submitted to the CCER, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) have included 27 candidates in their party lists each, the Party of Economic Reforms (PER) and the Socialist Party (SPT) – six candidates each, the Democratic Party (DPT) – four candidates, the Agrarian Party (APT) — 13 candidates, the Communist Party (CPT) – 7, and the Social-Democratic Party (SDP) – 15.
Tajikistan’s Parliament (Majlisi Oli) has two chambers: the Assembly of Representatives (Majlisi Namoyandagon) and the National Assembly (Majlisi Milli). Majlisi Namoyandagon has 63 members, elected for a five-year term in, 22 by proportional representation (party list) and 41 in single-seat constituencies. Majlisi Milli has 33 members, 25 elected for a five-year term by local legislature (majlis) members and eight appointed by the president.
