The ruling party of Tajikistan headed by President Emomali Rakhmon has secured a convincing victory at the parliamentary elections held in the country on February 28. The People's Democratic Party got 70.6 percent of the vote and, taking into account the victory of single-mandate deputies, can claim 54 of the total 63 seats in the legislative chamber of the national parliament. These official specified data were announced at a meeting of the Tajikistani Central Election Commission (CEC) held on Friday, Itar-Tass reported.
Far behind from the People's Democratic Party are the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP) of Tajikistan, the Communist, Agrarian Parties and the Party of Economic Reforms. Each of them is vying for two seats in the parliament. There will be a revote in one constituency.
A total of eight political parties took part in the elections of which the Social Democratic, Democratic and Socialist Parties failed to clear the 5-percent election barrier. However, the Tajikistani political opposition has not recognised the results of the parliamentary elections and intends to take legal action against the CEC. Western observers have called the parliamentary elections in Tajikistan, "despite certain positive changes, failing to meet the democratic standards."
A total of 90.3 percent of the electorate from almost 4.5 million voters put on the electorate lists took part in the elections.
Earlier, the IRP declared the country's elections to the lower house of parliament "far from transparent and democratic" pointing to major violations of the election legislation and drastic interference of the authorities with the election process. IRP leader Mukhiddin Kabiri told Itar-Tass that "during the whole election campaign the party was registering violations, however, the mass falsification peak was on the election day."
According to him, observers from the party registered facts of rigging of the electorate votes, facts when the number of ballot paper in the ballot boxes turned out to be higher than the number of voters. It also registered facts when opposition parties' observers were not admitted to monitor the calculation of the votes and so on. "Our party even in the conditions of severe competitive struggle with the party of power always counts on at least 7-8 seats in the new parliament," he stressed noting that "otherwise we will challenge the results and will defend each our vote in court within the law framework." There are only two IRP deputies in the previous legislative chamber.
Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan Rakhmatillo Zoyirov agreed with the IRP leader in the assessment of the parliamentary elections. "The distortion of the will of the electorate, the power bodies' dictate to them turned out to be even higher than at the 2005 parliamentary elections," the Social Democrat leader, "the perpetual political opponent of Emomali Rakhmon" categorically stated in an interview with Itar-Tass. He stressed that the "power pressure, falsifications at all stages of the election process, rigging of votes were felt most of all only by the two opposition parties the Islamic and Social Democratic."
Leader of the Communist Party Shodi Shabdolov has a different view on the elections. "Our observers have not registered serious violations during the voting that was held on the whole at a good organisational level," Shabdolov noted on March 1. The leader of the Communist Party represented in the current parliament by five deputy seats hopes if not to increase its membership in the new legislative chamber, then at least to retain it.
The heads of the CIS and OSCE election monitoring missions on March 1 made statements with the assessment of the Tajikistani parliamentary elections.
In the early 2000s, independent political parties continued to exist in Tajikistan, but their operations were circumscribed and their influence marginal. The governing People's Democratic Party (PDP) gained strength as some opposition party leaders joined the government and others were disqualified from participation in elections. The Communist Party of Tajikistan, a nominal opposition party that has supported President Rakhmon on most issues, has lost support since 2000. The liberal, pro-market Democratic Party also has lost support. In 1997 Rakhmon weakened his chief opposition emerging from the civil war, the United Tajik Opposition (UTO), by naming movement leader Akbar Turajonzoda a deputy prime minister. In the ensuing years, the UTO was eclipsed politically by its main component organisation, the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP). In 2003 the IRP lost its chief opposition issue as the ban on religious parties ended. Nevertheless, in 2006 parties still could not receive aid from religious institutions, and tension remained between the government and Islamic factions. In 2006 the IRP was the most influential opposition party in Tajikistan and the only religiously affiliated party represented in the national legislature of a Central Asian country. In 2006 six parties, including one faction of the Democratic Party, were banned, and a total of eight parties were registered.
The CIS election monitoring mission called the parliamentary elections in Tajikistan "free, and open, corresponding to the national election legislation."