Dushanbe Mayor Rustam Emomali has been elected Speaker of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament).

The first session of the Majlisi Milli of the sixth convocation took place in Dushanbe on April 17.

Chairman of Tajik Writers’ Union, Nizom Qosim, opened the first session of the Majlisi Milli of the sixth convocation and conducted the session until the chairperson was elected. 

Dushanbe Mayor Rustam Emomali was elected Chairman of the Majlisi Milli.

Sughd Governor Rajabboy Ahmadzoda was elected First Deputy Chairman of the Majlis Mili and the Governor of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) Yodgor Faizov was elected Deputy Chairman of the Majlisi Milli. 

Majlisi Milli (the National Assembly) is the upper chamber of Tajikistan's parliament.  It has 33 members: 25 elected for a five-year term by deputies of local councils (majlis) and eight appointed by the president.  By right, former presidents are members for life.

Chairperson of the parliament’s upper chamber is the second person in the Tajik political hierarchy.  In the event of the death, resignation, and deeming of the President to lack dispositive capacity, his duties shall pass, until a newly elected President takes up office, to the Chairman of the Majlisi Milli.  In that case, the powers of the Chairman of the Majlisi Milli shall be placed on one of his deputies.

Rustam Emomali, the current Mayor of Dushanbe and the eldest son of President Emomali Rahmon, was born in the Danghara district (Khatlon province) on December 19, 1987.  He graduated from the Tajik National University with a degree in "International Economic Relations" and the Academy for Public Service under the President of the Russian Federation with a degree in “Public and Municipal Management.”  Rustam Emomali also graduated from the Academy of the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Tajikistan with a degree in “Jurisprudence.” 

He holds the rank of Major-General and is among the ten most influential individuals in Tajikistan. 

Rustam Emomali is married with three children.

President Emomali Rahmon appointed Rustam Emomali as mayor of Dushanbe on January 12, 2017, when he was 29.  Rustam Emomali replaced Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev, who was mayor for 19 years.

Prior to this, Rustam Emomali had headed the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption. 

Before that, he had been head of the Customs Service, worked in the Committee on Investments and State-owned Property Management and as the vice-chairman of the RT Union of Youth.

One of the founders and co-owners of the football club "Istiqlol", Rustam Emomali is also the president of the Football Federation of Tajikistan.

Rustam Emomali has been awarded the Zarintoj (Gold Crown) Order of 2nd Class.

Rustam Emomali's rapid career growth and his appointments to a number of different senior government positions has fueled speculations that he was being prepared to succeed his father as the leader of Tajikistan.  Rustam Emomali attends all key international summits in the country and accompanies his father during his tours around the country.

On May 22, 2016, a nationwide referendum approved a number of changes to the country's Constitution.  The key proposed amendments included eliminating the term limit for incumbent President Emomali Rahmon and lowering the age of eligibility to become president from 35 to 30.