DUSHANBE, October 14, 2013, Asia-Plus — A meeting of the Tajik Association of Reformist Forces (TARF) took place in Dushanbe on October 14 and its representatives say that the TARF members will boycott the 2013 presidential elections if the Islamic Revival Party (IRP)’s nominee for president, Ms. Oynihol Bobonazarova, is not registered with the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda.
IRP leader Muhiddin Kabiri says Ms. Oynihol Bobonazarova’s campaign staff has collected the required number of signatures to register for the poll by 6:00 pm of October 10.
“Under the country’s legislation nominated candidates are required to support their candidature with signatures from 5 per cent of the electorate,” said Kabiri. “The total number of voters in Tajikistan is four million and one hundred and twenty people. Thus, 202,000 signatures collected by our supporters are enough for registration for the poll.”
In this connection, the IRP nominee is going to ask the CCER to clarify where the figure of 210,000 has come from, Kabiri noted.
“If the CCER refuses to register Ms. Bobonazarova, we will boycott the 2013 presidential election,” IRP leader said.
The Social-Democratic Party (SDP) leader Rahmatillo Zoirov notes that Ms. Oynihol Bobonazarova has the right to appeal against the CCER decision within ten days after it is made public.
The TARF representatives reportedly decided to announce their final decision in two days.
Bobonazarova”s candidacy had been supported by the TARF, an alliance that brings together the country”s largest opposition party, the Islamic Revival Party, and the Social Democratic Party, as well as several nongovernmental organizations and known public and political figures.
We will recall that the CCER announced on October 10 that it was extending the registration deadline by one day — until October 11 — ostensibly to give Bobonazarova more time to hand over the required 210,000 signatures of her supporters.
Ms. Oynihol Bobonazarova told journalists on October 11 that she has managed to collect 201,236 voter signatures by 6:00 pm of October 10 to support her candidature.
Six presidential candidates have officially registered for the election. In addition to the incumbent President Emomali Rahmon, they are Tolibbek Bukhoriyev from the Agrarian Party; Olim Boboyev from the Party of Economic Reforms; Ismoil Talbakov from the Communist Party; Abduhalim Ghafforov from the Socialist Party; and Saidjaffar Ismonov from the Democratic Party.
