DUSHANBE, February 12, Asia-Plus - On February 11, additional parliamentary elections were held in the Qubodiyon and Vose constituencies to replace parliament deputies that had been appointed to positions in the executive power. 

Muhibullo Dodojonov, a spokesman for Tajikistan’s Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) said two candidates representing ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDPT) and Islamic Revival Party (IRPT) had competed for seat in parliament in the Qubodiyon constituency to replace Shukurjon Zuhurov who had been appointed as Ministry of Labor and Social Security. 

The PDPT candidate Badirddin Sadriddinov (head of the Shahritus agriculture directorate) won the election, receiving 80 percent of votes cast.  The IRPT candidate Toshquvvatov (engineer-in-chief with farming unit Vatan in Shahritus) polled only 16 percent of votes.  According to the CCER, the Qubodiyon constituency numbers more than 91 voters; some 79,000 voters came to polling stations in the constituency yesterday. 

On the additional election in the Vose constituency, Dodojonov said that only one candidate had run for election in that constituency -- representatives from the PDPT Rahmonali Umarov (deputy chairman of Tajikistan’s Agency for Land-tenure Regulations, Geodesy and Cartography). 

Umarov received 80 percent of votes cast.  A total number of voters in the Vose constituency is some 81,000 people; of them, 67,000 voters participating in the voting process.  The additional election in the Vose constituency was held to replace Ghaybullo Afzalov who had been appointed to head the Khatlon province.   

Additional elections will be held in the Kulob and Hamadoni constituencies on April 1 to replace Abdujabbor Shamsov (PDPT), who had been appointed as Deputy Interior Minister, and Asadullo Abdulloyev (PDPT), who had been appointed to head the Khuruson district, respectively. 

The People''s Democratic Party of Tajikistan is the biggest political party in Tajikistan.  At present it controls some 80 percent of the seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament).