By-election of representative of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) to Tajikistan’s upper house (Majlis Milli) of parliament has been set for early spring, an official source at the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) of Tajikistan told Asia-Plus in an interview.

According to him, the new representative of GBAO in the Majlisi Milli will replace the ex-governor of GBAO, Shodikhon Jamshed, who was deputy speaker of the Majlisi Milli.    

The CCER has set the date of the by-elections for March 4, 2019, and most likely, acting governor of GBAO, Yodgor Fayzov, will be elected, the source added.

After acting GBAO governor Yodgor Fayzov is elected to the regional legislature, the next session of the GBAO Majlis that will take place next month will consider the issue of approval of president’s decree on appointing him the governor of the region.  

The governor of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region and heads of other provinces, cities and districts of Tajikistan are appointed and dismissed by the president and presented to their respective councils for approval.  

The heads of the regional, city or district state administrations (hukumat) simultaneously wield executive authority and act as local council chairpersons.

Recall, President Emomali Rahmon on September 15 harshly criticized the work of GBAO law enforcement authorities and gave them one-month deadline to address the situation in the region, especially in Khorog, and implied that more robust measures could be adopted if he was dissatisfied with the results

A range of personnel changes were made in the region.  By president’s decree chairperson of the GBAO regional court, chief of GBAO police, chief of Khorog traffic police department as well as heads of Khorog City and Shugnan and Roshtqala districts were fired.

The governor of GBAO, Shodikhon Jamshed, managed to hold onto his post until October 1, when he was replaced by Yodgor Fayzov.  By president’s decree Yodgor Fayzov was appointed as acting governor of GBAO.   

Under the country’s Constitution, three-fourths of the total number of deputies of the Majlisi Milli shall be elected at joint meetings of people’s deputies of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region and its towns and districts, regions and their towns and districts, Dushanbe city and its districts, towns and districts subordinate to the center, on the basis of indirect elections by means of secret ballot.

The Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region, regions, Dushanbe City, towns and districts subordinate to the center have an equal number of representatives in the Majlisi Milli.

One-fourths of the members of the Majlisi Milli shall be appointed by the president of the country.