Article 48: Parliament is the highest representative and legislative organ of the Republic of Tajikistan. Parliament is elected for a five year term. Citizens not younger than 25 years of age may be elected to Parliament. The organization and operations of Parliament are determined by constitutional law.
Article 49: The powers of Parliament:
1) adopting, amending, and repealing laws and resolutions;
2) interpreting the Constitution and laws;
3) determining the basic directions of domestic and foreign governmental policies;
4) forming the Central Elections and Referenda Commission;
5) scheduling referenda;
6) introducing draft legislation and other important governmental and social issues for popular discussion;
7) scheduling elections for the President of the Republic;
8) scheduling elections for higher and local representative organs;
9) giving consent to the formation and abolition of ministries and governmental committees;
10) approving decrees of the President concerning the appointment or dismissal of the Prime Minister and other members of the Government;
11) approving decrees of the President concerning the appointment or dismissal of the Chair of the National Bank and her or his assistants;
12) on the petition of the President of the Republic, electing and recalling the chair, assistant chairs, and judges of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, and the High Economic Court;
13) giving consent to the appointment and dismissal of the Procurator General and her or his assistants;
14) approving the socio-economic program, and giving consent to the provision of economic assistance to other states;
15) approving the state budget, determining the possible amount of the state budget deficit and sources to cover this deficit, monitoring implementation of the budget, determining tax policies, and giving permission for the extension and receipt of governmental credit;
16) determining the monetary system;
17) determining the structure of, formation of, abolition of, and changes in administrative territorial units. In necessary cases at its own discretion, also independently changes the borders of administrative territorial units;
18) ratifying and denouncing international treaties;
19) forming courts;
20) approving decrees of the President concerning martial law and states of emergency;
21) approving state awards;
22) establishing military, diplomatic, and other specialized ranks;
23) approving the state symbols;
24) declaring general amnesties;
25) repealing resolutions of the Presidium of Parliament in the event that they are contrary to the Constitution and laws;
26) exercising other powers determined by the Constitution and laws.
Article 50: The basic form of operations for Parliament is the session. A session of Parliament is convened by the Presidium of Parliament no less frequently than two times each year. A session of Parliament is competent if no less than two thirds of the total number people's deputies participate in it. The first session of Parliament is convened by the Central Elections and Referenda Commission within one month after elections for people's deputies.
Article 51: In order to organize the work of Parliament and exercise powers anticipated in the Constitution and laws, a Presidium of Parliament is formed which is headed by the Chair of Parliament. The composition of the Presidium of Parliament consists of the Chair of Parliament, her or his First Assistant and assistants, and the chairs of the committees and permanent commissions of Parliament. Parliament may also elect other people's deputies to membership in the Presidium of Parliament.
Article 52: The powers of the Presidium of Parliament:
1) convening Parliament;
2) organizing preparations for sessions of Parliament;
3) coordinating the activities of the committees and permanent commissions of Parliament;
4) organizing inter-parliamentary connections;
5) managing the press organs of Parliament, and appointing and dismissing their chief editors;
6) giving consent to the appointment or recalling of the heads of diplomatic missions of Tajikistan in foreign states and representatives of the republic in international organizations;
7) exercising other powers determined by the Constitution and laws.
Without exceeding its powers, the Presidium of Parliament adopts resolutions.
Article 53: From among the people's deputies, Parliament elects a Chair of Parliament, her or his First Assistant and assistants, and the chairs of the committees and permanent commissions of Parliament. One of the assistants to the Chair of Parliament must be a people's deputy from Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. The Chair of Parliament is elected by secret ballot and must have a majority of the votes of the total number of people's deputies.
Article 54: The powers of the Chair of Parliament:
1) managing the preparation of issues subject to review during sessions;
2) chairing sessions of Parliament and meetings of its Presidium;
3) presenting Parliament with candidates for the First Assistant and assistants to the Chair of Parliament, and for the chairs of the committees and permanent commissions of Parliament;
4) signing resolutions of Parliament and resolutions of its Presidium;
5) representing Parliament both within the country and abroad;
6) signing inter-parliamentary agreements;
7) managing the administrative machinery of Parliament, and issuing orders;
8) exercising other powers determined by the Constitution and laws.
Article 55: The First Assistant and assistants to the Chair of Parliament, when authorized to do so by the Chair, fulfill certain functions of the Chair. In the event of the absence of the Chair of Parliament, her or his obligations are carried out by the First Assistant.
Article 56: From among the people's deputies, Parliament elects committees and permanent commissions to draft legislation, exercise monitoring functions, and conduct preliminary review and preparation of issues. Parliament may, when necessary, form investigatory, audit, and other temporary commissions.
Article 57: An official is obligated to provide a people's deputy with information that is necessary so that that deputy can fulfill her or his functions, except in cases determined by law. A people's deputy has the right freely to express her or his opinion and to vote according to her or his beliefs.
Article 58: A people's deputy who is working in Parliament on a full-time basis may not occupy another position or engage in entrepreneurial activity aside from scientific or creative activities. A citizen of Tajikistan may not simultaneously be a deputy in more than two representative organs.
Article 59: A people's deputy enjoys the right of immunity. She or he may not be subjected to any kind of arrest, administrative penalty imposed through judicial proceedings, or criminal trial without the consent of Parliament. Without the consent of Parliament, a people's deputy may not be detained, except when apprehended at the scene of a crime. The powers of a people's deputy terminate upon resignation, a declaration by a court of incompetence, or by a well-founded decision of Parliament to that effect. The legal status of people's deputies is determined by constitutional law.
Article 60: The right to introduce draft legislation belongs to people's deputies, the President, the Government, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the High Economic Court, and the Parliament of People's Deputies of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.
Article 61: The laws of Tajikistan and resolutions of Parliament are adopted by a majority of the votes of the total number of people's deputies. Constitutional laws are adopted by the positive vote of no less than two-thirds of the total number of people's deputies.
Article 62: Laws of Tajikistan are presented to the President for her or his signature. If the President does not agree with the law, then she or he returns the laws with her or his objections to the Parliament within fifteen days. If two-thirds of Parliament votes to affirm Parliament's previously adopted decision, the President signs the law. If the President does not return a law within the established time period, then she or he is required to sign that law.
Article 63: Parliament may prematurely disband itself with the consent of not less than two-thirds of the people's deputies. In any case, the powers of the people's deputies of Tajikistan are terminated on the day that the first session of a new Parliament is convened.
