Text of report by Iranian radio from Mashhad on 12th March

[Presenter] According to reports received, the runoff elections were held in
Tajikistan on Sunday, 12th March, to elect representatives to the lower
house of the Tajik parliament, the Assembly of Representatives. In the
first round of elections held on 27th February, no candidate [standing in
the runoffs] was able to win a majority of votes. During preparations for
the second round of elections, the election results in two electoral
districts - Kofarnihon and Khojamaston [western Tajikistan] - were revised.
The first reports received from the capital of Tajikistan [Dushanbe] on
Sunday [12th March] say that a good turnout was observed in the runoff
elections in these 12 [as said] districts.

In Fayzobod District, two candidates, a representative of the People's
Democratic Party and the head of this District, (?Saidmurod Taghoyev), and
a member of the National Reconciliation Commission [a joint
government-opposition body] of Tajikistan, Muhiddin Kabirov [who is also a
United Tajik Opposition [UTO] spokesman and the head of the UTO
administration], ran [in the elections] and the Central Election [and
Referendum] Commission [CERC] has not given information on the results
[there] yet.

The CERC's report says that in the electoral district of Yovon District
[southwestern Tajikistan], a woman candidate of the People's Democratic
Party, (?Tojiniso Muhammadova), scored a victory because the other
candidate, (?Imom Mirzoyev), withdrew.

The only candidate of the People's Democratic Party, the deputy head of the
State Medical University of Tajikistan, (?Jumaboy Sanginov), won in
Mastchoh District in Leninobod Region [northern Tajikistan].
According to another report from the CERC of Tajikistan, the results of
elections in Mountainous Badakhshon Autonomous Region [eastern Tajikistan]
were unknown yet due to a breakdown in the telephone connection with this
Region.

We will inform you about the elections in Tajikistan in our programme on a
political analysis of Tajikistan over the next few hours and there will be
more information about them.

Source: Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mashhad, in Persian 1600 gmt
12 Mar 00
BBC Mon CAU 130300/** JF/UU