DUSHANBE, December 16, 2013, Asia-Plus -- Both vice-speakers of Tajikistan’s upper house (Majlisi Milli) of parliament are resigning today.

A session of the Majlisi Milli is being held in Dushanbe today afternoon.

Former governor of Sughd province, Qohir Rasoulzoda, who was recently appointed Prime Minister of Tajikistan, should resign from his post of first deputy chairman of the Majlisi Milli.

Former governor of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), Qodir Qosim, who was appointed to head the State Committee on Investments and State-owned Property (GosKomInvest), should resign from his post of deputy chairman of the Majlisi Milli.

Besides, former chairman of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP) Khayrullo Asoyev, who was recently appointed Minister of Transport, should also resign from the Majlisi Milli.

The Majlisi Milli is the upper chamber of the Tajik parliament with 33 members.  Three-fourths of the total number of members of the Majlisi Milli are 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 centre, 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 (five each).

One-fourths of the members of the Majlisi Milli are appointed by the President.  Besides, each former President of the Republic of Tajikistan shall be the life member of the Majlisi Milli, if he doesn’t refuse to use this right.