Professor Olimjon Boboyev, the permanent leader of Tajikistan’s Party of Economic Reforms (PER), has resigned owing to his advanced aged ahead of the party’s pre-election congress that was held in Dushanbe on December 15.
“I'm not going to get involved in politics anymore and will not run for parliament, making way for youth,” Professor Boboyev told Asia-Plus in an interview.
The party’s congress elected Rustam Qudratov, who is member of the incumbent Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower house of parliament).
The congress also approved the list of candidates, who will who will run in parliamentary elections through the proportional representation (party list). The PER’s party list includes seven candidates, including the new leader of the party.
Recall, the Party of Economic Reforms won three seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon in 2015.
The Party of Economic Reforms was established by Olimjon Boboyev in autumn 2005, several months ahead of the parliamentary elections. It is loyal to the incumbent president.
The PER has no clear ideology, but advocates for a genuine reform of the structure of the Tajik economy. According to the PER, such a reform is needed in order to support the growth of the economy, most noticeably in the manufacturing of finished products.
The Party of Economic Reforms reportedly now has some 20,000 members.
