DUSHANBE, November 9, 2012, Asia-Plus – On Thursday November 8, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan presented members of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) and representatives of the Interior and Justice Ministries, political parties, civil society and international organizations with the conclusions of an assessment on establishing a modern voter and civil registry in Tajikistan, press release issued by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan said.
Under the existing law, voter list compilation is the sole responsibility of polling station officials, assisted by local government bodies, with no standard methodology for compiling the list. The law also does not specify how and when voters can check that their names are on the voter lists.
A month-long assessment of the voter identification and registration process was conducted by the Office, in co-operation with the CCER and line ministries, and produced recommendations to promote transparency, efficiency and sustainability.
Ambassador Ivar Vikki, the Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, said: “Our Office aims to help the CCER, at its request, to achieve concrete improvements in the electoral process. The need to enhance the voter registry was identified in the final report of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights after it observed Tajikistan’s 2010 parliamentary elections. Strengthening the electoral process requires constructive co-operation among registered political parties, government and civil society actors.”
CCER head Shermuhammad Shohiyon said: “Tajikistan needs a centralized voter registry. We are happy to work with the OSCE Office in Tajikistan and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and intend to continue coordination with other governmental agencies to establish a linked voter-civic registry and to meet international standards.”
Shalva Kipshidze, who worked on the assessment for the OSCE, added: “Today there is no central voter registry in Tajikistan, and it is not possible to create one without amendments to the election laws. The enrolling and updating of voter records should also be open to scrutiny by all stakeholders.”
The expert recommendations also explored possible links to the civil register system, as well as information-sharing mechanisms between the CCER and local and regional authorities.
