DUSHANBE, September 22, Asia-Plus — A two-day seminar formally titled “ Media and Right of Citizens to Participate in Political Life and Management of State” opened in Dushanbe today.
The seminar was staged by the President’s Executive Office, Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) and the United Nations Tajikistan Office of Peace-Building (UNTOP).
The UNTOP head Vladimir Sotirov telling the meeting noted that international community hopes that each subsequent election will be more transparent and democratic and nearer to international standards. He called media as one of the main factors contributing to formation of public opinion.
Journalists should be well aware of election legislation and cover the electoral process impartially and concretely, Sotirov stressed.
The CCER head Mirzoali Boltuyev noted only journalists should not have special permits to attend all meetings of electoral commissions on calculating votes cast. “To attend the meetings they have to just show their identity cards,” Boltuyev said. According to him, the more objective coverage by media of the voting process the easier work of all electoral commissions. Boltuyev called on journalists to give principle and unbiased assessment of everything. “It will be your assistance to us and allow avoiding any violations,” the CCER head stressed.
