DUSHANBE, January 30, 32015, Asia-Plus -- Ten of twenty-two candidates nominated by the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) to run for election to the Danghara local council (Majlis) have failed to pass the Tajik language test, Mahmoudjon Fayzrahmon, a spokesman for the IRP, told Asia-Plus Friday morning.

“Among them is the 82-year-old Khol Kamolov, former high-school teacher of President Emomali Rahmon.  Kamolov had taught mathematics in school,” Fayzrahmon said.

According to him, Tajik language teachers working with Danghara high schools and specialists from the Committee on the State Language and Terminology under the Government of Tajikistan examined the candidates.  

For the first time parliamentary candidates in Tajikistan were tested on their knowledge of the Tajik language.  Candidates to both chambers of the parliament (Majlisi Oli) had to write their biographies, read one-page text in Tajik and undergo an interview in the presence of the commission members.  Candidates to regional, city and district legislatures reportedly underwent similar test.

We will recall that the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) endorsed the regulations on the procedure of testing knowledge of parliamentary candidates of state language in July last year.  Specialists from the Faculties of Law and the Committee on the State Language and Terminology under the Government of Tajikistan were reportedly got involved in the work on the regulations.