DUSHANBE -- Five presidential candidates in Tajikistan have rejected an OSCE report that criticized state-controlled media for focusing their coverage solely on incumbent Emomali Rahmon, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports.

The interim report by the OSCE''s election observation mission, issued on October 22, found that the campaign materials of the other five candidates were not visible.

The candidates -- Ismoil Talbakov of the Communist Party, Olim Boboyev of the Party of Economic Reforms, Tolibbek Bukhoriyev of the Agrarian Party, Saidjaffar Ismonov of the Democratic Party, and Abduhalim Ghafforov of the Socialist Party -- told RFE/RL after the OSCE statement that the ongoing election campaign is proceeding in a “fair and transparent way and in accordance with Tajik laws.”