Political parties officially functioning in Tajikistan will now be able to count on money from the national budget.
Members of Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament endorsed a bill proposing amendments to the country’s law on political parties.
A regular sitting of the fifth session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the sixth convocation, presided over by its head, Mahmadtoir Zokirzoda, took place on April 11.
Presenting the bill to lawmakers, the Minister of Justice Muzaffar Ashouriyon noted that it is aimed at strengthening the multiparty system, ensuring transparency of the activities of political parties and enhancing the country's status as a democratic state in the international arena.
“A new clause that has been added to Article 12 of the RT Law “On the Political Parties” states that the national budget is one of the sources of the creation of funds of political parties in cases provided for by this law,” the minister said.
According to him, participation of political parties in the election to the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the new convocation will be financed from the country’s budget. The payment will be made after the elections themselves, Ashouriyon noted.
According to him, only the political parties that pass a 5-percent electoral threshold can count on one-time support from the national budget.
“The support amount is 7.0 percent of the calculating indicator (estimate) multiplied by the number of votes received by a political party,” the minister added.
The current calculating indicator amounts to 72.00 somonis.
MP Abduhalim Ghafforzoda, who is also the leader of the Socialist Parity of Tajikistan, considered the adoption of amendments to the law a timely step and noted that “If a political party does not have enough money, it won/t be able to implement its program.”
MP Rustam Latifzoda, who represented the Agrarian Party in the Majlisi Namoyandagon, emphasized that “the amendment to the law gives the country's political parties an additional opportunity to be active in all spheres of political, economic and social life, representing its supporters and members in the highest representative and legislative bodies of the country.”
Currently, seven political parties officially function in Tajikistan:
The ruling People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT) is the largest political party in Tajikistan, boasting more than 600,000 registered members. President Emomali Rahmon is chairman of the party;
- The Democratic Party of Tajikistan (DPT) – 52,000mebers as of 2022;
- The Communist Party of Tajikistan (CPT) – 59,000 members as of 2023;
- The Socialist Party of Tajikistan (SPT) – more than 25,000 members as of 2020;
- The Agrarian Party of Tajikistan – 55,000 members as of 2020;
- The Party of Economic Reforms of Tajikistan (PERT) – more than 30,000 members as of 2020;
- The Social-Democratic Party of Tajikistan (SDPT) – more than 10,000 members as of January 1, 2024.
