DUSHANBE, January 22, 2016, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament is holding a meeting today to discuss amendments offered to the country’s Constitution.
The constitutional amendments have been prepared by twenty-seven deputies of Majlisi Namoyandagon and sixteen members of Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament).
One of the amendments reportedly says that incumbent president Emomali Rahmon, who was designated as the Leader of the Nation, can be elected head of state unlimited times.
Part 4 of Article 65 says that one person cannot be elected consecutively to the position of President for more than two terms of office (Amended in 2003).
The offered amendment says that restrictions provided for by Part 4 of Article 65 do not apply to the Leader of the Nation.
They also propose to lower the minimum age required to be elected President of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The current minimum age required to be elected the President of Tajikistan is 35. Thus, Article 65 of Constitution of Tajikistan states that every citizen of Tajikistan who has been resident in Tajikistan for not less than the past ten years and who has reached the age of 35 may be elected President.
The amendment offered to the Constitution provides for lowering the minimum age required to be elected President of Tajikistan to 30.
If this amendment is endorsed, it will give Rustam Emomali, the eldest son of President Rahmon, the right to be nominated to run for president in 2020.
Rustam Emomali was born on December 19, 1987 and he will be only 33 in 2020.
One of the offered constitutional amendments concerns the Constitution’s article on political parties (ban on registration of political parties of religious nature).
According to Article 28 of Tajikistan’s Constitution, citizens shall have the right of association. “A citizen shall have the right to participate in the creation of political parties, including the parties of religious, democratic and atheistic nature, trade unions, and other social associations and to voluntarily join and withdraw from them.”
One of the amendments offered to the Constitution provides for setting the minimum age required to be elected deputy of Majlisi Namoyandagon and member of Majlisi Milli at 30.
Article 49 of Tajikistan’s Constitution says that citizens not younger than 25 years shall be elected to Majlisi Namoyandagon and citizens who reached 35 years of age and have higher education shall be eligible to be elected to Majlisi Milli.
Parliamentarians are also expected to designate the date for the referendum on the offered constitutional amendments.
