The president of Tajikistan is the
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...
and de facto
head of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...
of the
Republic of Tajikistan. The president heads the executive branch of the country's federal government and is the supreme commander in chief of the
Armed Forces of Tajikistan.
History of the presidency
The first president of Tajikistan was
Qahhor Mahkamov, who held the position of
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Tajikistan and was appointed President of the
Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic in November 1990. Mahkamov served both as First Secretary and President but was forced to resign in August 1991 due to the unpopularity of his support for the
August Coup of 1991 in Moscow and the resulting street demonstrations in
Dushanbe
Dushanbe ( tg, Душанбе, ; ; russian: Душанбе) is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. , Dushanbe had a population of 863,400 and that population was largely Tajik. Until 1929, the city was known in Russian as Dyushambe (ru ...
. From 1991 to 1992 the post of the president changed hands several times due to the political changes and uncertainty following the dissolution of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
and ensuing social unrest and violence in the
Tajikistani Civil War. Since 1994,
Emomali Rahmon has held the position of the presidency. The presidential elections were last held in
2020. Presidential elections in Tajikistan have consistently been criticized by international observers as unfair and favoring the ruling party.
Constitutional role
The president of Tajikistan is the
head of the state and the ''de facto''
head of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...
, making him/her the highest ranking chief government official in the country. The president is elected by a national vote and was historically limited to one seven-year term which can only be renewed once, until the abolishment of term limits. The president is also the supreme
commander-in-chief of the
Tajik National Army.
The office of the president consisting of 5 departments and 24 offices is the executive arm of the president, including, inter alia, the following are the most important ones:
* Department of the constitutional rights of citizens
* Department of Public affairs, information and cultural affairs
* Department of Social Policy
* Department of economic policy
In addition to the executive office of the president, there is a
Security Council that advises the president on matters of national security. As Supreme Commander-in-Chief, he also is entitled to use the Center for the Management of the Armed Forces (opened on
National Army Day in 2018), which would serve as the main military command center for the president, similarly to the
Russian Armed Forces National Defense Management Center. The president also has five state advisors who aide the president on policy issues:
*State Advisor on Economic Issues
*State Advisor on International Affairs
*State Advisor on Science and Social issues
*State Advisor on Public Affairs Information and Culture and State
*State Advisor on Defense and Law Enforcement
Presidential Standard
The Standard of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan is the official symbol of the office of president in the country. It was made a legal state symbol in accordance with an amendment to Law No. 192 on July 28, 2006. It was introduced in time for the inauguration ceremony for
Emomali Rahmon in his third term as head of state. The standard is a rectangular panel consisting of three horizontally arranged color bars which are similar to the colors on the
Flag of Tajikistan. In it, there is a symbolic ''
Derafsh Kaviani
Derafsh Kaviani ( fa, درفش کاویانی) was the legendary royal standard Derafsh (in Latin: vexilloid) of Iran ( Persia) used since ancient times until the fall of the Sasanian Empire. The banner was also sometimes called the "Standard o ...
'' banner the center, with its upper part having spear, symbolizing the will and power of the authorities for the defense of the country. The banner is four-sided and has four branches inside (which represents the four
regions of Tajikistan), while the center depicts a winged lion with a crown and seven stars, which are the basis of the
emblem of Tajikistan. The Derafsh Kaviani is embroidered with two gold threads on both sides of the standard.
Residence
Since 2008, the
Palace of Nations (also called the ''Kohi Millat'' or the ''White House'') has been the official residence of the president of Tajikistan. The president often receives foreign dignitaries and public official at the palace, as well as holds public events at its main hall. Its construction was dedicated to Tajik historic king
Ismail Samani. It opened in August 2008, hosting an
SCO summit in its first day. The palace is portrayed on the back of a 500
Somoni banknote.
Up until 2008, the presidential residence was located in a different location, in building that was built in 1957 (to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution), and formerly served as the headquarters of the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of Tajikistan. In the Soviet era, it had hosted dignitaries such as
Raul Castro,
Ho Chi Minh
(: ; born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), commonly known as (' Uncle Hồ'), also known as ('President Hồ'), (' Old father of the people') and by other aliases, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman. He served as P ...
,
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
,
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev; uk, links= no, Леонід Ілліч Брежнєв, . (19 December 1906– 10 November 1982) was a Soviet politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between 1964 and 1 ...
, and
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin ( rus, Борис Николаевич Ельцин, p=bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtsɨn, a=Ru-Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin.ogg; 1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician wh ...
. In 2017, the building became the temporary office of the
Mayor of Dushanbe. It became the presidential residence in 1992. In February 2020, it was announced that the former palace would be demolished.
Selection process
Elections
The President of Tajikistan is elected for a seven-year term (Exception for
Founder of peace and national Unity — Leader of the Nation) using the
two-round system; if no candidate receives over 50% of all votes cast,
a second round is held between 15 and 31 days later between the two candidates who received the most votes. For the result to be validated, voter turnout must exceed 50%; if it falls below the threshold, fresh elections will be held.
[Elections in Tajikistan: November 6 Presidential Elections: Frequently Asked Questions](_blank)
IFES
Latest election
Inauguration ceremony
The inauguration ceremony takes place at the Kokhi Somon Palace in
Dushanbe
Dushanbe ( tg, Душанбе, ; ; russian: Душанбе) is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. , Dushanbe had a population of 863,400 and that population was largely Tajik. Until 1929, the city was known in Russian as Dyushambe (ru ...
. Following the ceremony, a
military parade of the
Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan is held on
Dousti Square
Dousti Square (; ) is a square in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. It is connected to Rudaki Avenue and Hofizi Sherozi Avenue. It is the largest in Dushanbe.
History
The formation of the square began in the 1930s. Its first building was a 2-storeyed bu ...
. The
minister of defence reads the oath of the allegiance to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief during the ceremony before the troops of the
National Army march off. A 30-gun salute is fired to mark the occasion. The following years saw inauguration ceremonies held:
* 1994
* 1999 - The ceremony was attended by
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
* 18 November 2006
* 16 November 2013
* 30 October 2020 - The ceremony was held amid the
COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan.
List of presidents of Tajikistan
See also
*
List of leaders of Tajikistan
*
Vice President of Tajikistan
The office of vice president of Tajikistan was a political position in Tajikistan until it was abolished.
The following is a list people who have served as Vice President of Tajikistan until its abolishment:
See also
*List of leaders of Tajiki ...
*
Prime Minister of Tajikistan
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official site of President of Tajikistan
Heads of state of Tajikistan
Presidents
1990 establishments in Tajikistan
T