Text of report by Iranian radio from Mashhad on 1st February

An [state] adviser to the president of Tajikistan, Davlatali Davlatov [who
is also the head of the press-service of the Central Electoral and
Referendum Commission of Tajikistan, the head of the directorate for public
relations, information and culture and the deputy chairman of the People's
Democratic Party of Tajikistan], has said that his country cannot hold
elections in accordance with Western standards as Tajik society has its own
characteristics. He said this on the opening day of a three-day seminar in
Dushanbe entitled "Elections and the media in Tajikistan", which has been
organized on the initiative of the OSCE.

The head of the OSCE mission in Tajikistan, Marin Buhoara, said during the
seminar that the elections to the permanent parliament, which are to be
held in Tajikistan on 27th February, were proof of the relative calmness
and understanding in Tajik society, which shows the success of peace and
accord among the Tajiks.

Source: Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mashhad, in Persian 1600 gmt
01 Feb 00
BBC Mon CAU 020200/** GAR/MI