IRP refuses to participate in May 15 by-election

DUSHANBE, April 21, 2011, Asia-Plus -- The Islamic Revival Party (IRP) organization for Dushanbe’s Sino district yesterday sent an official letter to the electoral commission of Dushanbe’s constituency # 4, noting that it withdraws its candidate from the by-election for a seat in the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament).

We will recall that IRP’s organization in Dushanbe’s Sino district has nominated Said Ibrohim Nazar for the by-election that will be held in Dushanbe’s constituency # 4 on May 15.  Later, the IRP candidate refused to register for the by-election because the IRP is not represented in polling stations.

In the meantime, the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) says that under the country’s election legislation, representatives of political parties cannot be members of the polling stations; they just may attend the poling stations as observers.

As it had been reported earlier, the electoral commission for Dushanbe’s constituency # 4 on April 5 registered four candidates for the upcoming parliamentary by-election.  Among them are Amirqul Azimov nominated by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDPT), Muzaffar Mirzoyev nominated by the Agrarian Party (APT) and two self-propelled candidates -- Tolibshoh Saidzoda, editor-in-chief of the Dushanbe weekly Millat (Nation), and Safarbek Mannonov, deputy director of the National Medical Center.

The by-election will be held on May 15 following appointment of Shermuhammad Shohiyon who formerly represented Dushanbe’s constituency # 4 in the Majlisi Namoyandagon as the CCER chairman.

Dushanbe’s constituency # 4 reportedly numbers some 70,000 voters and 48 polling stations are expected to be set up in the constituency.