DUSHANBE, January 6, 2015, Asia-Plus -- The Communist Party of Tajikistan (CPT) intends to nominate three candidates to run for election to the parliament in single-mandate constituencies.

“The CPT’s organizations in Vahdat, Istaravshan and Fayzobod will hold their pre-election conferences within the next few days and they will nominate candidates to run for election in their single-mandate constituencies,” CPT Secretary Ismoil Talbakov told Asia-Plus in an interview.

“Our party has a large personnel potential, but financial difficulties connected with payment of election deposits and election campaign expenses do not allow us nominating more candidates,” Talbakov noted.

We will recall that the CPT has included 15 candidates in the party list for election to Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament that will take place on March 1, 2015.  CPT leader Shodi Shabdolov tops the list.

Tajikistan’s Parliament (Majlisi Oli) has two chambers: the Assembly of Representatives (Majlisi Namoyandagon) and the National Assembly (Majlisi Milli).  Majlisi Namoyandagon has 63 members, elected for a five-year term in, 22 by proportional representation and 41 in single-seat constituencies.  Majlisi Milli has 33 members, 25 elected for a five-year term by local legislature (majlis) members and eight appointed by the president.

Founded in 1918, the Communist Party of Tajikistan was registered in 1991.  According to some sources, the party now has more than 45,000 members.  Shodi Shabdolov is leader of the party.