Constitutional referendum set for June

Tajikistan’s parliament on Wednesday said the country would hold a referendum in June on proposed changes to its constitution. “These are positive developments, and for us the most important thing will be that nothing in the constitution is changed that affects the peace, security and the progress towards democracy in the country,” Vladimir Sotirov, the representative in Tajikistan of the UN secretary-general, told IRIN from the Tajik capital, Dushanbe on Thursday. Although there are no final official details available of all the proposed changes, Sotirov said there were some 55 draft amendments to be put before the Tajik electorate on 22 June. “I understand that some of them have [an] executive character others have political significance,” he said. This landlocked nation of 6.2 million people established its present constitution in 1994 after voters approved a new charter to replace the Soviet-era document. This constitution established a firm independence between legislative, executive, and judicial branches - unique among Central Asian republics. Tajikistan’s constitution provides for a strong legislature rather than a dominant executive with the president as the head of state. Members of the legislature, which is a unicameral national assembly, are elected for a five-year term. They have the authority to change laws, interpret the constitution, and confirm presidential appointees. However, the proposed constitutional amendments could tip the balance of power in favour of the executive and presidency. One of the key amendments put to the vote is the lifting of a ban prohibiting the president from running for a second term. Experts believe that if this ban is lifted, President Emomali Rahmonov could run twice more for terms of seven years after his current mandate runs out in 2006. Rahmonov, 50, has led the country since 1992 and was re-elected for a second seven-year term in November 1999. But following a September 1999 referendum, the country’s constitution was amended to prevent presidents from seeking a second term in office. The move to lift the ban would be in line with the other former Soviet Central Asian republics, where communist era bosses continue to rule their countries after independence in early 1990s. Commenting, Sotirov noted that a final version of the proposed changes was awaited. “President Rahmonov was our reliable partner in the peace negotiations and we are ready to work with him in the future,” he stated. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan immediately went through a five-year civil war that left more than 50,000 people dead. Many experts credit Rahmonov with restoring peace and stability after a UN-backed peace accord between the Tajik government and the predominantly Islamist opposition in 1997.