DUSHANBE, September 2, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- A negative resolution of the government on the draft parliamentary elections code could be predictable, Hikmatullo Sayfullozoda, a spokesman for the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT), said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, similar problems arose during the previous parliamentary elections, “however, some changes were made to the parliamentary elections law that time, not to such serious articles as registration fee and the threshold percentage, of course.”

“To introduce such cardinal measures is not in the interest of the government, including ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDPT),” said Sayfullozoda, “Unfortunately, there has been a tendency in recent years that the parliament does what the government says.”

The IRPT spokesman added that their party would participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The IRPT now has one seat in the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament).  Earlier, the party had two seats – Muhiddin Kabiri and Muhammadsharif Himmatzoda; both of them came to the parliament from the party list.  Muhammadsharif Himmatzoda resigned in April this year in protest after of his benefits were revoked.

We will recall that of 63 seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon, 22 seats come from party lists. The remainder is elected in first-past-the-post races.  The Islamic Revival Party had a party list of only 15 candidates for the 2005 parliamentary elections, while 20 of the party’s representatives ran individual constituencies.