Recently, parliament deputies in Tajikistan passed amendments to the "On Political Parties" law, allowing political parties in the country to receive financial support from the state. The amendments aim to bolster the multi-party system, increase transparency, and enhance the country's international standing as a democratic state.
Under the new article (121) of the law, parties participating in the elections for the new term of the Supreme Assembly will be financially backed by the state budget. This support will be disbursed post-elections, detailing the fund allocation process, timing, funding prerequisites, and allocated amounts.
Justice Minister Muzaffar Ashuriyon highlighted that parties garnering more than 5% of the votes will receive one-time financial assistance from the budget. The amount of support will be determined as 7% of the voter turnout multiplied by the party's votes.
Socialist Party deputy Abdualim Gafforzoda welcomed the timely amendments, stressing the significance of financial backing for parties to execute their programs. Rustam Latifzoda, a representative of the Agrarian Party, pointed out that the amendment will grant parties additional opportunities to participate in the political, economic, and social realms.
Presently, Tajikistan is home to seven officially registered political parties, with varying membership numbers across the parties. In 2019, the People's Democratic Party boasted 460,000 members, the Democratic Party had 52,000 members in 2022, and the Communist Party had 59,000 members in 2023. The Socialist Party counted over 25,000 members in 2020, the Agrarian Party had 55,000 members in 2020, the Party of Economic Reforms had over 30,000 members in 2020, and the Social Democratic Party had over 10,000 members in 2024.
