DUSHANBE, June 15, 2009, Asia-Plus - President of the Parliamentary Assembly (PA) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Joao Soares, who was on a visit to Tajikistan from June 11 to June 14, met with senior representatives of Tajik political parties in Dushanbe on June 12.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Hikmatullo Sayfullozoda, a spokesman for the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT), said that issues related to development of political processes in the country, including problems related to the upcoming parliamentary elections due in February 20101, had been among major topics of the meeting.

During the meeting, political parties noted that a new law on elections to the Majlisi Oli, prepared by the Communist party, had been submitted for consideration to the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) in the beginning of this year already, however, it has not yet been considered.

The new law provides for elimination of a registration fee imposed by the present parliamentary elections code on individuals seeking to contest the election.

We will recall that the present parliamentary election code requires candidates to pay a registration fee of 5,000 somoni.

The meeting participants said that the fee prevented candidates of many parties from running in parliamentary elections.  They noted that only after adoption of the new parliamentary election code, providing for many important aspects, including the elimination of the registration fee, one might speak about holding of democratic parliamentary elections in Tajikistan, however, adoption of the new parliamentary election legislation was delayed, the IRPT spokesman said.

Speaking at the meeting, the IRPT leader Muhiddin Kabiri noted that the upcoming parliamentary elections were a very important political event and the next examination both for the government and political parties, Sayfullozoda said.