Text of report by the Tajik news agency Asia-Plus on 21st January

From today political parties and their representatives have the right to
conduct their election campaign and canvassing, Asia-Plus news agency was
told at the press centre of the the Central Electoral and Referendum
Commission (CERC) on 21st January. At its meeting on 20th January, the CERC
also determined the procedure for the media's work during the election
campaign. The amount of free airtime to be granted to political parties and
nominated candidates for political advertising, expounding their party
programme and for debate was set: at five, 10 and 15 minutes respectively.
Each candidate has the right to publish two eight-page articles free of
charge in the republican press. Regional and District newpapers will set
the size of articles depending on their capacity.

[The head of the CERC press centre] Abdurahmon Abdumanonov also said that
the CERC had registered candidates' proxies on 20th January. It was decided
that polling stations would be opened abroad, too: in Moscow, Minsk,
Alma-Ata, Ashkhabad, Tehran, Berlin and in Tajikistan's representative
office at the UN in New York.

Source: Asia-Plus news agency, Dushanbe, in Russian 0826 gmt 21 Jan 00
BBC Mon CAU 220100/** VA/SK