2013 Tajik presidential election explained

Country:Tajikistan
Turnout:86.64%
Type:presidential
Previous Election:2006 Tajik presidential election
Previous Year:2006
Next Election:2020 Tajik presidential election
Next Year:2020
Election Date:6 November 2013
Image1:Emomali Rahmon-1.jpg
Nominee1:Emomali Rahmon
Party1:People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan
Popular Vote1:3,023,754
Percentage1:83.92%
Nominee2:Ismoil Talbakov
Party2:Communist Party of Tajikistan
Popular Vote2:181,675
Percentage2:5.04%
President
Before Election:Emomali Rahmon
Before Party:People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan
After Election:Emomali Rahmon
After Party:People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan

Presidential elections were held in Tajikistan on 6 November 2013.[1] Incumbent President Emomali Rahmon was re-elected with a reported 84% of the vote on a turnout of 86.6%.[2]

In power since 1992, Rahmon was seeking a new term in office, and was widely expected to be re-elected. None of his five opponents, who were "virtual unknowns even inside the country",[3] publicly criticised him, while Oynihol Bobonazarova, a human rights activist generally regarded as the only real opposition candidate was prevented from running,[4] having narrowly failed to obtain sufficient signatures to register as a candidate. Her Islamic Revival Party blamed local authorities for harassing party activists who were seeking to collect signatures.[3]

Electoral system

The President was elected for a seven-year term, with a 50% turnout needed to validate the result. Potential candidates needed to collect 210,000 signatures in order to participate.[5]

Voting centres closed at 22:00 and initial official results were due early the next day.[6]

Campaign

Oynihol Bobonazarova of the Islamic Revival Party withdrew her candidacy on 11 October 2013 after collecting only 202,000 of the 210,000 required.[7] The party claimed this was due to harassment from local authorities during the signature campaign and that it would not take part in the election.[6]

The Social Democratic Party also boycotted the election due to what it said were "violations of the constitution, organised falsifications and a lack of democracy and transparency."[6]

Conduct

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe monitored the elections.[6] It reported "significant shortcomings" in the conduct of the poll, and criticised "restrictive candidate-registration requirements" including an "unreasonably large number of signatures potential candidates must gather to qualify", which it considered "resulted in a lack of pluralism and genuine choice."[8]

Results

Notes and References

  1. https://news.yahoo.com/volatile-tajikistan-sets-presidential-election-november-6-085620488.html "Volatile Tajikistan sets presidential election for November 6"
  2. https://nation.com.pk/08-Nov-2013/tajik-strongman-wins-over-83pc-in-no-choice-poll Tajik strongman wins over 83pc in 'no choice' poll
  3. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2013/11/tajikistan-holds-presidential-election-201311652838364800.html Tajikistan holds presidential election
  4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24830415 Tajik President Rakhmon set to win another term
  5. https://www.asiaplustj.info/en/news/tajikistan/politics/20130902/presidential-candidate-must-collect-210-thousand-signatures Presidential candidate must collect 210 thousand signatures
  6. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2013/11/tajikistan-holds-presidential-election-201311652838364800.html Tajikistan holds presidential election
  7. News: Zayirov Calls on His Supporters to Rally around Aynihal Babanazarova. 12 September 2013. Asia-Plus. 17 October 2013.
  8. http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/107943 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe: Tajikistan presidential election peaceful, but lacking in pluralism and genuine choice, international observers say