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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DUSHANBE 002033 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL 
NSC FOR MERKEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM TI
SUBJECT: TAJIK PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION REPORT #1 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  The polls have yet to close, but 
Tajikistan's presidential election seems to suffer from many of 
the same problems as the 2005 parliamentary election.  The 
pre-election period did witness positive cooperation between 
international organizations (especially the United Nations and 
IFES) and the Central Election Commission, with some 
improvements to procedures and wide-spread poll worker training 
and voter awareness programs.  However, the resulting high 
turnout, and commitment on the part of some election officials 
to implement proper procedures, has been marred by pervasive 
evidence of family and proxy voting and lack of participation 
from true opposition political parties, and also some instances 
of ballot box stuffing and political coercion.  Two days prior 
to the election, three Democratic Party of Tajikistan officials 
were imprisoned for staging a demonstration in front of the 
Ministry of Justice protesting the ministry's decision to 
recognize a rival faction of the party.  Embassy observers, who 
are also registered as OSCE observers, were deployed to the 
Qurgon-Teppa, Kulyob, Istaravshan, Garm and Vahdat regions. 
Embassy staff also visited Dushanbe polling stations where the 
mood was festive.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U)  In almost all polling stations in Dushanbe, loud 
festive music blared from stereos, some featured live musicians. 
 At some stations, dancing girls in traditional costume even 
performed.  In Vaksh district, PolOff reported loud music woke 
residents up in the early hours summoning them to the polling 
stations.  Flowers were handed out to first time voters and 
gifts were granted to senior citizen voters.  Overall, the mood 
and atmosphere were festive.  Embassy observers have not 
reported any incidents of violence. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Typical voting patterns saw most Tajiks casting their 
ballots during the first half of the day.  Voters ranged from 
the young, minimum 18 years of age, to senior citizens.  Women 
were also well represented.  Some students at the Pedagogical 
Institute in Dushanbe waited for up to 3 hours to vote.  By 2:00 
pm local time November 6, the Central Commission on Elections 
and Referenda reported that 76% of registered voters have 
already cast their ballot.  According to Tajik law, a minimum of 
50% voter turn-out assures the legitimacy of the election. 
 
VOTING PROBLEMS- A REPEAT OF PREVIOUS ELECTIONS 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Generally, EmbOffs had access to all polling stations 
and were welcomed with the usual gracious Tajik hospitality and 
had their fair share of tea and plov.  Polling stations appeared 
organized and well-managed.  Most officials were open, answered 
questions and were eager to demonstrate to observers the "free 
and fair" election process.  EmbOffs report that some OSCE 
observers were denied access to military polling stations. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The main problem that reoccurs in every Tajik 
election is family voting and proxy voting.  Although illegal, 
the pervasive cultural mentality that heads of households can 
vote for other members makes family voting prevalent in 
Tajikistan.  An Embassy source commented, "It is impossible to 
think that a Tajik wife would vote differently than her 
husband."  At nearly all polling stations, EmbOffs witnessed 
evidence of family voting and proxy voting.  Between 10 percent 
to well over 50 percent of votes cast were by family voting or 
proxy voting.  Polling officials told PolOff that they know this 
is wrong, but are reluctant to do anything about it because they 
understand if a family member cannot come to vote.  It is not 
only men who cast votes for the family; observers saw many 
instances of women casting multiple ballots, perhaps in some 
cases on behalf of male family members working abroad.  In some 
cases, election officials did strictly prohibit this practice. 
 
 
DUSHANBE 00002033  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  EmbOffs witnessed three blatant acts of ballot 
stuffing and indications that a number of other boxes may have 
been stuffed.  Ballot boxes are weakly secured and can be easily 
tampered with.  Tajik rules allow registration at the polling 
place upon proof of residency, but not all officials were 
vigilant about checking identification and allowed some people 
to vote even though their names were not on the official 
register.   In one extreme case, EmbOffs walked into a polling 
station at 5:00pm, three hours before polls closed to find 
officials stuffing open ballot boxes and falsifying signatures 
on the registrar's list.  The official tried to justify his 
action by explaining that Tajikistan is a young democracy with a 
lot to learn.  He was irate and chased EmbOffs out of the 
station.  This is a clear indication of where Rahmonov's message 
to conduct free and fair election was defied by at least one 
eager-to-please local official. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Embassy Officers observing in southern Tajikistan 
reported that in one town, prior to election day, election 
officials campaigned and urged voters to vote for Rahmonov, then 
on election day, voters were bused into the polling stations to 
vote.  Although campaign posters are prohibited in polling 
stations the day of the election, EmbOffs in the same region 
noticed large campaign posters for Rahmonov. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Noticeably, most signs in polling stations were in 
Tajik, not Russian.  In northern regions, some signs were also 
in Kyrgyz.  No provisions were made for people with poor 
eyesight or illiterate voters.  Instructions on how to vote were 
not clearly displayed and PolOff witnessed voters query on how 
to mark the ballot.  In Tajikistan negative voting is employed, 
where voters cross off the names of candidates they do not want 
to be president. 
 
¶9.  (U) Some Embassy observers who also participated in the 
Parliamentary 2005 elections noted that there are more women 
voters this year.  This could be indicative of a higher turnout 
by women or by the fact that more men are abroad as labor 
migrants. 
 
 
DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADERS IMPRISONED DAYS BEFORE ELECTION 
 
¶10.  (U)  Plain clothes law enforcement authorities broke up a 
protest orchestrated by the Democratic Party of Tajikistan 
November 4 in front of the Ministry of Justice.  Police arrested 
Rajabi Mirzo, head of the DPT's Dushanbe chapter and also editor 
of the party's newspaper, Adolat.  They also arrested Timur 
Iskandarov, the younger brother of the party's imprisoned 
chairman, Mahmadruzi Iskandarov, and Khairiddin Gulyaev, the 
Deputy Head of the DPT's Dushanbe chapter.  Media reports say 
the Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan (SDPT) and the 
unregistered faction of the Socialist Party of Tajikistan (SPT) 
also helped to organize the protest. 
 
¶11.  (U) Media reports say that five people held banners 
protesting the Ministry's decision to recognize the new faction 
of the DPT headed by Masud Sobirov.  Twenty people gathered in a 
show of support at the side of the building.  Mirzo alleged that 
the party's phones were tapped as only a tight circle of people 
knew about the planned protest and informed the media only 30 
minutes before the action. 
 
¶12. (U) The protest which only lasted a few minutes before 
police broke it up had been peaceful.  According to Tajik law 
though, it is illegal to organize a demonstration unless a group 
has received permission from the government.  The three men have 
been detained and sent to a city prison.  They will be held for 
up to fifteen days. 
 
DUSHANBE 00002033  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
POLITICAL PARTIES ABSENT FROM OBSERVATION 
 
¶13.  (U)  OSCE/ODIHR and CIS observers were frequently seen 
around Dushanbe and out in the regions.  Notably, some CIS 
observers are able to travel around town using official 
government plated vehicles.  Several bilateral missions also 
have observers including the Chinese and Kazakh Embassies. 
 
¶14.  (SBU)  Embassy observers have seen members of the 
president's People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT) at 
several polling station as well as members of the Communist 
Party of Tajikistan and the Party of Economic Reform of 
Tajikistan.  PolOff noted that in Qurgon-Teppa, prior to 
election day, a People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan member 
confessed that he was told by the government that he was 
accredited to observe as a Communist Party member and not as a 
PDPT member. 
 
¶15.  (SBU)  "Opposition" political parties have been 
conspicuously absent from polling stations.  Media sources say 
the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan has only sent 
observers to one or two polling stations, near former chairman 
Nuri's home in Dushanbe.  Muhiddin Kabiri, the party's current 
chairman, has been out of the country during the important 
election day and several days leading up to the election. 
Embassy observers encountered one Social Democratic Party of 
Tajikistan observer, but none from other parties. 
 
¶16.  (U)  Polls will officially close at 8:00pm local time, at 
which point ballot boxes will be opened, votes counted and the 
results sent to the district election commissions and back to 
Dushanbe.  Both the Commonwealth of Independent States and 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe missions 
will give statements at 11:00am and 2:30pm respectively, 
November 7 on preliminary findings. 
JACOBSON