DUSHANBE, March 24, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The Islamic Revival Party (IRP) has nominated its candidate for parliamentary by-election (special election) that will take place in Dushanbe’s constituency # 4 (Sino district) on May 15.

The IRP spokesman Hikmatullo Sayfullozoda says the IRP political council that met on March 24 nominated Saidibrohim Nazar to run in the Dushanbe by-election.  “In the near future, we will apply to the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) for registration of our candidate,” Sayfullozoda added.

The IRP is the first among the officially registered political parties of Tajikistan to nominate its candidate for the May 15 by-election.

Earlier, two other parties – People’s Democratic and Agrarian parties – have also expressed readiness to participate in the Dushanbe by-election.

The Party of Economic Reforms as well as the Democratic and Socialist parties said they would not participate in the forthcoming by-election, while the Communist and Social-Democratic parties have not yet decided whether they will participate in the by-election or not.

We will recall that the by-election will be called following appointment of Shermuhammad Shohiyon who formerly represented this constituency in the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) as the CCER chairman.

40,500 somoni have been allocated from the national budget for holding the by-election in Dushanbe’s constituency # 4.  79 polling stations will be set up in this constituency that numbers some 100,000 voters.