1994 Tajik presidential election explained

Country:Tajikistan
Type:presidential
Turnout:95.01%
Previous Election:1991 Tajik presidential election
Previous Year:1991
Next Election:1999 Tajik presidential election
Next Year:1999
Election Date:6 November 1994
Image1:Emomali_Rahmonov_2001Nov03.jpg
Nominee1:Emomali Rahmonov
Party1:Independent
Colour1:d91d1d
Popular Vote1:1,434,437
Nominee2:Abdumalik Abdullajanov
Party2:Independent
Colour2:999999
Popular Vote2:835,861
President
Before Election:Emomali Rahmonov
Before Party:Independent politician
After Election:Emomali Rahmonov
After Party:Independent politician

Presidential elections were held in Tajikistan on 6 November 1994.[1] Emomali Rahmonov, who had been de facto president since 1992, ran for the revived post with the support (though not the formal nomination) of the Communist Party of Tajikistan and won with 1,434,437 votes. Voter turnout was 95%.

Background

The elections took place amidst the ongoing civil war, although a round of talks in Tehran in September 1994 provided for a formal cease-fire, scheduled to end on 5 November.[2] The initial scheduled date for the elections was 25 September, but by early September only Rahmonov was registered. The Russian and Uzbek governments put pressure on Rahmonov, resulting in the postponement of the election to 6 November and extension of the nomination deadline until 27 October.

Campaign

Although the second registered candidate, Abdumalik Abdullajanov, was not a decoy figure, the main opposition forces had not been allowed to form political parties and were effectively shut out of political activity prior to the elections. As a result, the opposition boycotted the elections, saying that a fair contest was impossible with Rahmonov in power.

Conduct

The election process was described in a 1995 US State Department report as favoring the incumbent ruler and being non-fair: intimidation and ballot-box stuffing was reported, vote rigging was suspected.[3]

Notes and References

  1. [Dieter Nohlen]
  2. Book: Linda Edgeworth. Walter Smith. Scott Lansell. Gwenn Hoffman. Sara Dashtamirova. Walter Smith. Linda Edgeworth. Scott Lansell. Compendium of Reports on Technical Election Assistance to Tajikistan: Pre-Election Assessment, Election Day Observations, Post-Election Technical Asse. 1 March 1995. IFES. 978-1-879720-28-2. 19–.
  3. http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/democracy/1994_hrp_report/94hrp_report_eur/Tajikistan.html Tajikistan Human Rights Practices, 1994