VZCZCXRO7578
PP RUEHLN RUEHSK RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0108/01 0260325
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 260325Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1176
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0409
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2573

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000108 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM TI
SUBJECT: TAJIK ELECTIONS:  RULING PARTY LEADER PRAISES PRESIDENT 
 
REF: A) 0027; B) 1335 
 
DUSHANBE 00000108  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Newly appointed Deputy Chairman of the ruling 
People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT), Safar Safarov, 
told Ambassador Gross that his party is ready for February 28 
parliamentary polls and pledged to run a fair campaign.  Safarov 
is "ready for debates" but set conditions that participants do 
not use "censorable language."  Safarov said the Tajik people 
were united behind President Rahmon, Chairman of the PDPT, and 
would vote en masse because of their confidence in the 
President's leadership.  The PDPT nominated high-profile 
government officials to run in single-mandate districts and is 
poised to maintain its super-majority.  END SUMMART 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) In a January 23 meeting, PDPT First Deputy Chairman 
Safarov said the party supported Party Chairman President 
Rahmon's pledge to conduct free and fair elections and promised 
that there would be "no violations committed by the President's 
party."  Safarov said the President told him to "Do everything 
so that, after the elections, people will continue to look at us 
in the same light.  We hope that the people understand us, 
believe in us, and have faith in the elections."  The PDPT holds 
47 of 63 seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon, the lower house of 
parliament.  (Pro-PDPT independent MPs hold additional seats.) 
International and local political observers expect that they 
will maintain their large majority in parliament. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Safarov is focused on electing "professionals" to the 
2010 parliament.  "As the President said, the parliament is not 
to be a gathering of collective farmers.  Considering the 
quality make-up of our candidates, I can say that our candidates 
should make it through the difficult test of elections."  The 
PDPT has nominated many high-ranking officials and powerful 
local officials to compete in individual mandate races.  The 
Minister of Labor will be the PDPT candidate for an electoral 
district that includes the entire Rasht Valley, an opposition 
stronghold during the Civil War.  Other PDPT candidates include 
the First Deputy Minister of Justice, former First Deputy 
Prosecutor General, former Chairman of Tursunzoda District, 
Sughd Province First Deputy Governor, and the Kulob City 
Prosecutor. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) To conduct its campaign, the PDPT will use its party 
newspaper and local organizations to gather voters and educate 
them on their party platform.  "We won't use state resources. 
We will try, ourselves, to reach every voter."  Safarov and PDPT 
Propaganda Chief Saliyev estimated that voter turnout would be 
the same as in 2005, which they said was 97%.  (Official turnout 
was in fact 78%, though the actual turnout was likely much 
lower).  "The people are going to elections bravely.  Here the 
people believe in the President and will vote."  District 
Administrators were charged to "ensure voter turnout." 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Safarov called the Social Democrats and Islamic 
Renaissance Party (IRPT) the PDPT's main opposition.  "Our 
opponents are not simpletons.  They are running active 
campaigns.  So we must work to meet with voters."  He noted that 
he has a "good relationship" with IRPT Chairman Kabiri.  "We 
have no quarrels.  He even supported a law I proposed!"  Safarov 
said the party was "ready for debates, be they in public squares 
or on television.  But we ask that our opponents to have polite 
debates, not throw bricks and say censorable things.  If it is 
to be that kind of debate, we will not participate.  And we have 
some of those types of opponents." 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Complex election procedures were the main challenge to 
successful elections since many voters would have to interpret 
multiple ballots for local, regional, and national races. 
Safarov praised the work of USAID-implementer IFES 
(International Foundation for Electoral Systems) for its work 
educating voters.  He rebuffed criticism that the PDPT rejected 
amendments to an election law that would improve transparency, 
saying that the law had not been ready for consideration.  "Our 
election law is relatively new, from 1998.  Of course, nothing 
remains the same and there will be changes to the election law 
in the future." 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) On Roghun, Safarov claimed that "the people understand 
that without Roghun, life will be difficult.  Big, small, 
middle, the people love, support, and believe in the President." 
 
DUSHANBE 00000108  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Biographical Note:  Safarov was born in Baljuvon (then 
a part of Danghara district) in 1947.  He was a mid-level 
Communist Party official until 1991 and served as Communist 
Party Chairman of Baldzhuvan District.  Safarov was elected to 
the Majlisi Namoyandagon in 1991.  He was Chief of Presidential 
Apparatus from 2000 to 2001, then Ambassador to Russia from 2001 
to 2007.  He then was again elected to the Majlisi Namoyandagon 
in a 2007 special election, officially winning 92.7% of the vote 
and was First Deputy Speaker of Parliament 2007-2009.  President 
Rahmon appointed him First Deputy Chairman of the PDPT in 
December, 2009. 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) COMMENT:  Rahmon appointed Safarov, who hails from the 
President's home region of Danghara, as a reliable "yes man" to 
manage the ruling party.  Though Safarov and the President have 
both promised free, fair, and transparent elections, Safarov's 
belief that the 2005 voter turnout was 97% reveals that he may 
lack understanding of what "free and fair" means.  He promised 
that the PDPT would not use administrative resources to support 
party candidates, but his view that District Administrators 
should "ensure voter turnout" suggests that local officials 
again will play a role in influencing voting.  His belief that 
politicians shouldn't "throw bricks" during debates is typical 
of a ruling culture that, above all else, calls citizens to 
support the President and his "national projects."  Safarov's 
excuse that his party did not pass amendments to the election 
law is thin, at best.  The PDPT rubber stamps laws the President 
considers important with minimal debate.  END COMMENT 
GROSS