Tajikistan votes for amendments in the Constitution

A voting in a referendum on amendments to the Constitution of the Republic finished in Tajikistan. The polling stations across the country completed its work at 20:00 (18:00 Moscow time).

During the voting the citizens of Tajikistan were to express their attitude to the 41 amendment to the Constitution. The most important of them allows the Founder of Peace and National Unity, the leader of the nation, (this status has the head of state Emomali Rahmon since December of the last year) to hold the presidency an unlimited number of times.

Another proposed innovation associated with the first face of the country concerns the age limit. If approved by the population the amendments to the Constitution, the presidential candidate can become a citizen not younger than 30 years, whereas now this limitation is 35 years. The age requirement is also reduced for the members of the both Houses of Parliament, Supreme Court, Constitutional Court and the Higher Economic Court of Tajikistan.

In addition, the amendments to the Constitution provide  a ban on ‘political parties of other countries, the creation of parties on ethnic and religious basis, and financing of political parties by foreign states and organizations, legal entities and foreign citizens’, TASS reports.

According to the head of the Central Election Commission of Tajikistan, Abdumannon Dodozody, as for 18:00 (16:00 Moscow time), 3,888,388 people participated in the referendum. Thus, the turnout at that time was 88.3%.

Preliminary election results will be announced tomorrow at 10:00 am, according to RIA Novosti.