Photo: asiaplustj.info
The People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan, led by President Emomali Rahmon, secured victory in the country’s parliamentary elections held on March 2. Preliminary results were announced by Bakhtiyor Khudoyorzoda, chairman of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda, Asia-Plus reports.
The ruling party decisively outperformed its competitors in the proportional representation vote, securing 12 seats in the lower house of parliament.
The remaining seats were distributed as follows:
✅ Agrarian Party – 5 seats
✅ Party of Economic Reforms – 3 seats
✅ Socialist Party – 1 seat
✅ Democratic Party – 1 seat
The Communist Party failed to secure a single parliamentary seat.
The remaining 41 seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon (lower house of parliament) will be allocated based on the results of single-member district elections.
According to Khudoyorzoda, voter turnout reached 85.3%, with 4.7 million of the 5.5 million eligible voters participating in the election.
By noon on election day, state media had already declared the vote valid, as turnout had exceeded 59%, surpassing the minimum 50% threshold required.
All parties represented in parliament support the ruling government. The only opposition force, the Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan, did not participate in the elections. The party’s founder and leader, Rahmatillo Zoyirov, passed away in May 2023. Months later, his deputy, Shokirjon Hakimov, was arrested on charges of attempting to overthrow the government and subsequently sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Election observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization praised the organization of the vote, stating that it was conducted “openly and transparently.”
However, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) declined to monitor the elections, citing the Tajik government’s failure to provide guarantees for observer accreditation.
The lower house of Tajikistan’s parliament consists of 63 deputies elected by secret ballot. 22 members are chosen through proportional representation, while 41 are elected in single-member districts. Deputies serve a five-year term.
