Text of report by the Tajik news agency Asia-Plus on 7th February

The election campaign of the candidates for seats in the Assembly of
Representatives [Majlis-i Namoyandagon, lower chamber of the Tajik
parliament] using the media begins in the country today, 7th February.
Every candidate from a single-seat electoral district will have ten minutes
of free air time on Tajik television to present their election manifestos.
Asia-Plus learned from the press office of the Central Election Commission
of Tajikistan on 7th February that besides this, candidates' proxies will
be given five minutes of air time on special TV programmes to campaign for
their candidates.

The go-ahead was given to this yesterday, 6th January, following the end of
the registration of candidates from single-seat electoral districts.
The number of candidates registered from single-seat electoral districts is
being ascertained by the CERC now. The final results will be announced this
afternoon.

We would like to recall: registration by party lists was conducted up to the
registration of every candidate named in the lists and ended on 20th
January. We recall that not a single party out of the six political parties
of Tajikistan managed to register party lists in full (22 candidates). The
People's Democratic Party registered the biggest number of candidates - 21,
the Democratic Party - 19, the Socialist Party -18and the Islamic Rebirth
Party of Tajikistan and the Justice Party registered 15 candidates each.

Source: Asia-Plus news agency, Dushanbe, in Russian 0804 gmt 07 Feb 00
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