Apparent voting irregularities have been documented as Tajikistan held parliamentary elections, including widespread cases where one person was casting ballots for an entire family, a lack of election monitors, and instances where volunteer poll workers advised people who to vote for. The Central Election Commission said more than 82 percent of the 4.3 million registered voters had cast a ballot, well over the 50 percent turnout needed to make the election valid. The ballot comes after a campaign that international monitors described as flawed.
Nearly 300 candidates from eight political parties are contesting 63 seats in the lower house of parliament, the Majlisi Namoyandagon. President Emomali Rahmon’s People’s Democratic Party, which currently controls 55 of the 63 seats, is widely expected to win by a landslide.
The main political rival to the ruling party has been the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT), the only officially registered Islamic party in Central Asia.
The IRPT and the Social Democratic Party are vocal critics of the government, while other parties describe themselves as constructive opposition and openly support government policies.
Full Article: Voting Irregularities Documented In Tajik Elections.