Tajik presidential candidates threaten to boycott elections

Iranian radio Text of report by Iranian radio from Mashhad on 30th September

Three registered candidates to run in the Tajik presidential elections have threatened to "boycott" the elections set for 6th November this year if the date of the elections "is not postponed at least until the end of November", Iranian radio reported on 30th September, quoting a statement issued by the three parties. A candidate from the Democratic Party, Sulton Quvvatov, told the radio that "if everyone is not given equal rights, we, the three candidates, will boycott the elections and that means that these three parties will not run in the elections". The following is the Various parties, including the Democratic Party, the Islamic Rebirth Party and the Congress of People's Unity of Tajikistan have voiced their protest over violations by candidates standing in the presidential elections in Tajikistan . Here is a report by our colleague, Rahmatkarim Davlat in a statement .

[Correspondent] Three candidates running in the presidential elections in Tajikistan, including a candidate from the Democratic Party, Sulton Quvvatov; Sayfiddin Turayev, a candidate from the Justice Party and Davlat Usmon, a candidate from the Islamic Rebirth Party of Tajikistan have in a statement expressed concern over the violation of the law on elections and over the fact that the Central Election and Referendum Commission, along with local authorities, had been violating these candidates' rights.

The candidates, although with difficulty, were given permission to start collecting signatures from their supporters, but local government authorities have still not allowed their campaign teams to start this work. This is taking place at a time when there are only five days left for this work.

Sayfiddin Turayev, one of the contenders for presidency in the republic said the following about this subject:

[Turayev] In my opinion, the time given is so short that we will not be able to do this. Violations, however, are still continuing. We do not know when the authorities of Districts and towns will be given permission to let us start collecting signatures. We still do not known it [the date to start collecting signatures] and we do not know whom to address.

[Correspondent] It was also noted that the media at home should also ensure equal rights for the candidates.

[Turayev] I was nominated by the Justice Party and the Party's candidate has not been given air time on TV or radio as yet. People in Tajikistan still do not know if there is a Justice Party or whom it has nominated [to stand in the presidential elections].

[Correspondent] According to these candidates, the UN and the guarantor countries for peace [in Tajikistan] should intervene in view of the current situation and the crisis because observers think that the elections are taking place under conditions when the general agreement on establishing peace and national accord has not been fully implemented and the process of establishing peace has not reached its final point. Davlat Usmon, a candidate from the Islamic Rebirth Party of Tajikistan, says:

[Davlat Usmon] It should be understood that the election campaign which is under way in Tajikistan is not fair. The UN, along with the guarantor countries for this peace, must exert their influence here so that peaceful elections are held and to avoid, God forbid, another tension.

Correspondent] In this way, these contenders urged that an extraordinary session of the Supreme Assembly be summoned in order to postpone the date of the elections set for 6th November at least until the end of November and equal rights should be guaranteed by the authorities and the state media for all the contenders otherwise, as their joint statement reads, these candidates will boycott the presidential elections. Sulton Quvvatov, the candidate from the Democratic Party of Tajikistan, said the following on this subject:

[Quvvatov] If everyone is not given equal rights, we, the three candidates, will boycott the elections and that means that these three parties will not run in the elections.

[Correspondent] However, today or tomorrow, the authorities will probably allow these candidates to start collecting signatures, but these candidates think that their work is being narrowed by the minute.

Source: Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mashhad, in Persian 1600 gmt 30 Sep 99 BBC Mon CAU 011099/** AJBA/AS <<