DUSHANBE, November 7, Asia-Plus – Preliminary results from Tajikistan’s November 6 presidential election confirmed expectations, with incumbent President Emomali Rahmonov scoring an easy victory and wining a third term in office.
Mirzoali Boltuyev, the head of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER), today told journalists that the initial results of the polls give Rahmonov 79.3 of the vote. The closest of his four opponents, Olimjon Boboyev of the Party of Economic Reforms, got 6.2 percent.
According to the preliminary report by the central electoral commission, voter turnout was high. 3.2 million voters were eligible to take part in the election, for which 68 constituencies and 3,059 polling stations were set up. Boltuyev noted that according to the preliminary reports, 3,054,573 people voted. This is 91 percent of all people eligible to vote.
In Tajikistan, the president is popularly elected for a renewable term of seven years. Victory is by a simple majority. The deadline for the announcement of the final election results is November 16.
The Tajik presidential election of November 6 was declared valid at 12:00 local time as 65.3 percent of voters participated in the voting process before 12:00.
Five candidates ran for presidency: the head of the Party of Economic Reforms, Tajik Transport Institute head Olimjon Boboyev, Socialist Party leader Abduhalim Ghafforov, Agrarian Party leader Amir Qaraqulov, incumbent President Emomali Rahmonov, who is also the leader of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, and Communist Party Central Committee Secretary and a deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), Ismoil Talbakov.
According to the initial report, Amir Qaraqulov got 5.3 percent, Ismoil Talbakov 5.1 percent and Abduhalim Ghafforov 2.8 percent. 1.3 percent of voting-papers were declared invalid, according to Boltuyev.
