A Tajik parliamentary delegation led by Shukurjon Zuhurov, Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower house of parliament), today left for St. Petersburg for participation in the 49th plenary session of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (CIS IPA). 

The session that will take place on April 19 will discuss issues related to participation of CIS IPA observers in monitoring elections that had been held in the CIS member nations in recent years and preparations for an international conference entitled “Institution of Elections as Mechanism for Legitimation of Public Authority,” Muhammadato Sultonov told Asia-Plus in an interview.

While in St. Petersburg, Zuhurov is expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings with parliamentarians from the CIS member nations, Sultonov added. 

CIS IPA was created on March 27, 1992 in Almaty (Kazakhstan) under the terms of the Agreement signed by Heads of founding parliaments.  In 1995, the session of the Council of the CIS Heads of State held in Minsk, Belarus consolidated the status of CIS IPA as a fully-fledged international organization. On May 26, 1995 CIS leaders signed the Convention on the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States eventually ratified by nine CIS parliaments.  Under the terms of the Convention, the CIS IPA was invested with international legitimacy.

The CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly consists of national parliamentary delegations.  A Parliamentary Delegation consists of representatives of a Member Nation elected or appointed by the Parliament of a Member Nation Party to the IPA CIS Convention from among their members and in compliance with respective internal regulations.  A parliamentary delegation is led by the Head of parliamentary delegation.  IPA CIS Council is responsible for the organization of work of the Assembly.  The Council is presided over by the Chairperson.