DUSHANBE, February 25, Asia-Plus — A number of Russian nationals living in Tajikistan participated in an early Russia’s vote for president on February 24, Asia-plus has learned from Vasily Beldyugin, the head of the consular section at the Russian Embassy in Dushanbe.
According to him, early elections were held at polling stations opened in Tursunzoda, at the site for the Sangtuda-1 power plant, at the Russian Embassy in Dushanbe, as well as at Sughd’s towns of Istaravshan, Isfara and Chkalovsk.
Beldyugin noted that 28 border officers had cast vote at the polling station opened at the Embassy, 208 Russian nationals had cast vote at the polling station opened at the Sangtuda-1 site, and 80 Russian citizens had cast vote in Tursunzoda. Russian diplomat found it difficult to say how many Russian national shad cast vote in northern Tajikistan. “We have not yet received the vote results from Khujand,” Beldyugin said.
We will recall that the Russian Presidential election of 2008, scheduled to be held on March 2, 2008 has Dmitry Medvedev, a Kremlin-backed candidate supported by incumbent president Vladimir Putin, the candidates of the Communist party, the nationalist LDPR and pro-Western and Kremlin-linked DPR (Democratic Party of Russia).
Six polling stations are expected to be opened in Tajikistan on March 2: at the Russian Embassy in Dushanbe; at headquarters of Russian military base in Dushanbe; in Norak; at Russian Consulate in Khujand; and the military base’s sub-units in Kulob and Qurghon Teppa.
According to the Russian Embassy, more than 12,000 Russian national now live in Tajikistan. Besides, some 7,000 Russian citizens are in Tajikistan on long-term missions, including servicemen of the Russian military base, officers of the Russian operational group and specialists constructing the Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant.
