DUSHANBE, November 3, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has nominated Suhrob Sharipov, the director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Tajikistan, to run in parliamentary by-election scheduled for December 18.

We will recall that the by-election will be held in Dushanbe’s constituency # 3 (Shohmansour district) on December 18 to fill a seat in the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) as Safarali Rajabov, who represented the Shohmansour constituency in the lower house of parliament, died on October 5.

Nomination of candidates started on October 19 and is ending today, while registration of candidates will be completed on November 19.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of Tajikistan (CPT) and the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) have reportedly refused to nominate their candidates.

Leader of the Social-Democratic Party of Tajikistan (SDPT) Rahmatillo Zoirov at the beginning of this week called for boycott of parliamentarian by-election in Dushanbe’s constituency # 3.

Zoirov says he has called for boycott of the by-election because representatives of political parties were not included in commissions at polling stations.  “The fate of elections in our country is decided in the polling station electoral commissions,” Zoirov told Asia-Plus in an interview.  “Members of these commissions usually include representatives of local authorities who support candidates of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”

We will recall that of 63 seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon, 22 seats come from party lists. The remainder is elected in first-past-the-post races.