The ruling People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT) has nominated Minister of Justice Rustam Shohmurod to run for Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) in a single-mandate constituency in Dushanbe’s Sino district, an official source within the PDPT told Asia-Plus in an interview.
If elected, Rustam Shohmurod will have to leave the post of minister of justice, because a deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon may not be a deputy of other representative agency and the agency of local self-government, may not occupy another post nor engage in entrepreneurial activity, except scientific and creative.
Recall, a campaign on nominating candidates to run for the Majlisi Namoyandagon in single-mandate constituencies was launched in Tajikistan on January 1.
Rustam Shohmurod is professional lawyer. He was born in the city of Konibodom on May 3, 1965. Rustam Shohmurod has a scientific degree of Candidate of Sciences in Law.
He has served as Minister of Justice since 2012. Prior to this, he had served as First Deputy Minister of Justice (2009-2012).
Besides, the PDPT has nominated 28 candidates for election through the proportional representation (party list). Saidmurod Fattohzoda heads the PDPT’s party list.
The Majlisi Namoyandagon is the lower house of Tajikistan’s parliament. It has 63 members, elected for a five-year term in, 22 by proportional representation (party list) and 41 in single-seat constituencies.
The PDPT is the only political party in Tajikistan that has its offices in Dushanbe and in a number of cities and districts of the country.
The party now has its offices in eighteen cities and districts across the country. In some districts, the party rents buildings for its district organizations.
The PDPT organizing committee was established in 1993, and the party itself was established on December 10, 1994. Until April 1998, it was called the People's Party of Tajikistan.
The party stands for a secular state and society (secularism).
The People’s Democratic Party is the largest political party in Tajikistan, boasting more than 490,000 registered members. President Emomali Rahmon is chairman of the party.
The party has its branches in all regions and largest settlements of Tajikistan. The youth wing of the party is called the Sozandagoni Vatan (Creators of the Motherland).
At the legislative elections, February 27 and March 13, 2005, the PDPT won 74% of the popular vote and 52 out of 63 seats (74 percent of the popular vote). This was an increase from the 2000 elections, in which they won 64.9% of the vote and 38 seats. At the legislative elections, February 28, 2010, the party won 71.69% of the popular vote and 45 out of 63 seats. At the last legislative election, March 1, 2015, the PDPT won 65.4 percent of the vote and 51 out of 63 seats.
