DUSHANBE: Tajikistan’s presidential election begun on Sunday, with five candidates including incumbent President Emomali Rahmon running for the post. According to the central commission for elections and referendums, there are 68 electoral districts across Tajikistan, with 3,375 polling stations within the country and 39 set up abroad. A total of 4.9 million voters have been registered. Polling stations in Tajikistan open from 6:00 to 20:00 local time (0100 to 1500 GMT) on Sunday.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all sanitary and epidemiological standards will be observed, and voters have to wear masks, check temperature and keep social distancing at polling stations. In addition to Rahmon, four other candidates are Miroj Abdulloev from the Communist Party of Tajikistan, Rustam Latisana from the Agrarian Party, Abduhalim Gafforov from the Socialist Party, and Rustam Rahmatzoda from the Economic Reforms Party. According to the Tajik laws, the election will be declared valid if more than 50 percent registered voters cast their ballots. The winner should garner more than half of the vote.
The election process is monitored by 145 international observers from international organizations including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States. In addition, 267 representatives of local and foreign media cover the election process, the central commission said. Preliminary results will be announced within 24 hours after the voting is over, and the final results will be announced no later than two weeks after the end of the election. – Agencies
