DUSHANBE, December 6, Asia-Plus — A Tajik delegation led by Mirzoali Boltuyev, chairman of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER), will monitor a presidential vote in Uzbekistan, scheduled for December 23.
Muhibullo Dadajonov, a spokesman for the CCER, told Asia-Plus that the Tajik delegation to monitor Uzbekistan presidential vote would consist of the CCER chief specialists Suhrob Ghoibov and Yoqubjon Madumarov, the district electoral commission head Qurbonmad Asrorov, the center for Strategic Studies deputy director Sayfullo Safarov, and the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Gulnazar Keldy.
According to him, the delegation will stay in Uzbekistan from December 20-25.
Four candidates were registered with Uzbekistan’s Central Electoral Commission as candidates for presidency, including Asliddin Rustamov, nominated by the Social-Democratic Party, Dilorom Toshmukhamedova, nominated by the Social-Democratic Party, Akmal Saidov, nominated by an initiative group of voters, and the incumbent president Islam Karimov. Islam Karimov will seek a third term in office as candidate of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businesspeople of Uzbekistan.
Technically, the incumbent Islam Karimov’s term ended on January 22, 2007, according to the Constitution of Uzbekistan, but the electoral legislation states that “an election must be held in December of the year in which the president”s term expires”; this de facto extension of Karimov”s term to eight years has been heavily criticized by the opposition
