Text of report by the Tajik news agency Asia-Plus on 25th January

Tajik parties have begun publishing their election manifestos and presenting
their candidates to the lower chamber [of the parliament, the Assembly of
Representatives] in their newspapers.

The circulation of the second issue of `Adolat', the newspaper of the
Democratic Party of Tajikistan, will be 2,500 copies. The head of the
party's election campaign centre, Rahmatullo Valizoda, told Asia-Plus that
the issue would carry the party's election manifesto, an interview with its
deputy chairman, Asliddin Sohibnazarov, and an article by the chairman of
the party's Dushanbe city committee, Tabarali Ziyoyev, entitled "Who do we
nominate as a candidate?".
`Najot', newspaper of the Islamic Rebirth Party of Tajikistan, will present
its candidates for the parliament in its issue tomorrow. The head of the
election campaign centre of the Islamic Rebirth Party of Tajikistan,
Muhammadali Haitov, said in an interview with Asia-Plus that `Najot' would
publish a list of candidates from the party registered by the Central
Electoral Commission and their biographies and also the party's political
platform. `Najot' will print 5,000 copies of this edition which are to be
distributed by the members of the party's local branches in all regions of
the republic.

Source: Asia-Plus news agency, Dushanbe, in Russian 0757 gmt 25 Jan 00
BBC Mon CAU 250100/** BB/MI