DUSHANBE, March 1, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan’s Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) has registered only six of eight candidates for April 1 parliamentary by-elections that will be held in Firdavsi (Dushanbe), Hamadoni and Kulob constituencies.   

The source at a CCER said that applications of two self-propelled candidates had not been accepted. 

According to the source, they had failed to pay registration fee set at 4,000 somonis (equivalent to more than $1,000).  We will recall that self-propelled candidate Adolat Umarova, editor of the Dushanbe weekly Millat, was going to compete for vacant seat in the Firdavsi constituency, and the self-propelled candidate Mirzomurod Boyev, the head of the Nosir public association, was going to compete in the Hamadoni district.  “But their applications have been refused not for their failure to pay registration fee,” said the source, “Umarova’s application was refused because shortcomings had been revealed in her registration documents, while Mirzomurod Boyev withdrew his candidacy for health reasons.” 

Thus, six candidates will compete for three vacant seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) in those three constituencies. 

We will recall that Mahmadali Vatanov, deputy chairman of the Supreme Court, nominated by ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDPT) will compete with Umarali Hisaynov, nominated by the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT) in the Firdavsi constituency.  

In the Hamadoni constituency, the PDPT candidate Safarali Gulov, chairman of the Hamadoni district, will compete with the IRPT candidate Abdulqodir Hasanpour, who is the head of the IRPT organization for Hamadoni.  

In the Kulob constituency, former interior ministry Khumdin Sharipov, nominated by the PDPT, will compete for the vacant seat in parliament with the IRPT candidate Saidibrohim Nazar.