The Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) today endorsed amendments proposed to the country’s laws on election of the president and parliamentarians.

The amendments made to the RT Law “On the Election of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan”, in particular, provide for lowering the minimum age to run for president from 35 to 30.

Besides, under the amendments made to this law, the officially registered candidate for president can be arrested only with the consent of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER).

The amendments made to the law on the election of the president also prohibit financing of presidential election campaigns by foreign states, organizations and physical entities.

The amendments made to the RT Law “On the Elections to the Majlisi Oli (Tajikistan’s Parliament)” provide for reducing the minimum age to run for the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper house of parliament) from 35 to 30.

Besides, under the amendments made to the law on the elections to the parliament, candidates running for the Majlisi Namoyandgon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) should live in the country over the last five years and candidates for the Majlisi Milli should live in the country over the last seven years. 

The amendments also give local authorities an opportunity to form and approve polling station staff.  

The next presidential election will take place in Tajikistan in the fall 2020.      

Recall, the amendments to the country’s laws on election of the president and parliamentarians are based on constitutional amendments adopted in May 2016.  

A constitutional referendum was held in Tajikistan on May 22, 2016.  A total of 41 constitutional amendments were proposed.

The most important changes included: amending Article 65 to remove term limits on the incumbent President Emomali Rahmon, who owns the status of the “Leader of the Nation”; lowering the minimum age to run for president and for parliament’s upper house (Majlisi Milli) from 35 to 30; and banning political parties based on religious platforms.

On a practical level, incumbent President Emomali Rahmon would be allowed to run for re-election indefinitely under the changes.  The reduction in minimum age to run for president allows Rahmon's son to run, because he would be 33 at the end of his father's current term. 

According to official figures, the changes were approved by 96.6% of voters. Voter turnout was claimed to be 92%.

The previous referendum in Tajikistan took place in 2003 and changed the one-term limit for the president to a two-term limit.

Besides, the constitutional referendum took place in Tajikistan in September 1999 and experts consider that it was probably the most important referendum Tajikistan ever held.  That one approved the legalization of religious political parties.  It was necessary because the peace deal that ended Tajikistan’s 1992-97 civil war stipulated that members of the opposition, the bulk of whom were from the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, would receive places in government.  That referendum also approved lengthening the presidential term in office from five to seven years.  

Parliament supports Rahmon’s initiative on introducing two-year moratorium on inspection of industrial production facilities

DUSHANBE, February 8, 2018, Asia-Plus – Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament has supported president’s initiative on introducing a two-year moratorium on inspection of privately-owned industrial production facilities.

A regular sitting of the Majlisi Namoyandagon, presided over by its head, Shukurjon Zuhurov, took place on February 7.  

Speaking at the session, Farrukh Hamralizoda, the head of the State Committee on Investment and State-owned Property Management (GosKomInvest), noted that President Rahmon signed a decree aimed at creating a favorable climate for the development of productive entrepreneurship on January 16, 2018.  

“After adoption of the moratorium law a special list of privately-owned industrial production facilities will be made and they will have the right to apply to relevant government bodies over violation of this law,” Hamralizoda said.  

The Majlisi Namoyandagon today also supported president’s initiative on making amendments to the country’s tax code, which, in particular, provide for exempting payment of value added tax (VAT) and customs duties for planes, locomotives and passenger cars being delivered to the country by Tajik Air (Tajik national air carrier) and Tajik Railways (Tajik national railway company).  

Recall, under the moratorium decree proposed by the president to the parliament, tax officials, prosecutors, the auditing chamber and anticorruption officials and the National Bank will still be allowed to run checks, so it is not immediately obvious that businessmen will be getting much relief.

Checks could only go ahead when there was a suspicion that consumer rights were somehow being violated.  The moratorium extends only to production facilities, not other types of enterprises.

During an address to the joint session of both chambers of parliament in December, the president spoke about his professed concern for the frequency of raids on private enterprises, saying it was cramping the development of the business community.