DUSHANBE, November 5, 2013, Asia-Plus -- An election silence is declared in Tajikistan today prior to the 2013 presidential election that is taking place tomorrow. 

Election silence, pre-election silence, electoral silence, or campaign silence is a ban on political campaigning prior to a presidential or general election.  An election silence operates in the country to allow a period for voters to reflect on events before casting their votes.

“During this period no active campaigning by the candidates is allowed and media are prohibited from releasing materials in support of any of candidates,” Abdumannon Dodoyev, the head of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) told Asia-Plus in an interview.    

“Meanwhile, agitation materials calling on the population to participate in the voting process and explanatory materials on rules and places of voting are not banned in Tajikistan during the election silence period,” Dodoyev noted.

More than 6,000 local observers, including representatives of political parties nominated candidates for president, the Union of Youth of Tajikistan, and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Tajikistan, will monitor the presidential election.  Local observers have been registered with all 68 district election commissions (DECs), Dodoyev added.

Besides, more than 370 representatives of local media have been accredited at the DECs to monitor the voting process.

According to the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER), 501 international observers and 80 representatives of foreign media have been accredited at the CCER.

Six candidates have officially registered for the 2013 presidential election that will take place on November 6.  In addition to the incumbent President Emomali Rahmon, they are Tolibbek Bukhoriyev from the Agrarian Party; Olim Boboyev from the Party of Economic Reforms; Ismoil Talbakov from the Communist Party; Abduhalim Ghafforov from the Socialist Party; and Saidjaffar Ismonov from the Democratic Party.