Text of report by Tajik TV on 13th February

The chairman of the Central Election and Referendum Commission [CERC] of the
Republic of Tajikistan, Mirzoali Boltuyev, told journalists at the
beginning of this week that the registration of candidates had ended, as
the next stage in preparation for the upcoming elections [27th February].
Thus, the documents of 276 candidates to seats of the Majlisi Namoyandagon
[the Assembly of Representatives] were presented to the Tajik CERC, where
inspections revealed violations in the registration protocols of 53
candidates and they were barred from the campaign.

The remaining 223 candidates were registered in single-seat constituencies,
including 12 candidates who were registered in four election districts of
Dushanbe city, 38 in eight districts subordinate to the centre, 92 in 14
districts of [southern] Khatlon Region, 58 in 13 districts of [northern]
Leninobod Region and 23 candidates in two districts of [eastern]
Mountainous Badakhshon Autonomous Region. The proposed lists of political
parties are as follows: the Justice Party nominated 15 candidates, the
Democratic Party - 19, the Islamic Rebirth Party of Tajikistan - 15, the
Socialist Party -18 and the People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan - 21
[and also the Communist Party - 20] to the CERC. In all, 331 candidates
will take part in the election campaign both from the one-mandate
constituencies and from the single all-republican district on the basis of
the presented lists of the [six] political parties.

The candidates come from quite diverse social strata: 32 people from the
education sphere, 13 are entrepreneurs, 15 come from the courts,
prosecutor's offices and lawyers, 15 are from the agriculture sphere, 19
are temporary unemployed, four are media workers, 15 come from ministries,
committees and other government departments, six are chairmen of districts,
eight come from industry, three are construction workers, four work in the
cultural sphere, 12 are Supreme Assembly officials, two are pensioners and
the remaining 32 are representatives of the political parties [figures as
received, 43 candidates are not accounted for]. There are 42 women running
in the election campaign. It will be difficult to elect the deserving
candidate in some electoral districts in varous districts and towns of the
republic. Thirteen candidates in Kofarnihon and Vanj districts [a short
break in reception to end of item].

Source: Tajik Television first channel , Dushanbe, in Tajik 1530 gmt 13 Feb
00
BBC Mon CAU 130200/** VA/MI