DUSHANBE, April 21, 2016, Asia-Plus – Tajikistan’s Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) has registered first international observers for the upcoming constitutional referendum in Tajikistan.

CCER head Bakhtiyor Khudoyorzoda today held a meeting to discuss preparations for the referendum on amendments offered to the country’s Constitution.

“In accordance with norms of the constitutional law on referendum, central electoral commission has issued a resolution on accreditation of international observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the CIS Parliamentary Assembly for the constitutional referendum,” Abdumannon Dodozoda, a spokesman for the CCER, told Asia-Plus in an interview.

Under this resolution, six representatives of the CIS, led by the CIS Executive Committee Deputy Chairman Vladimir Garkun, and 18 representatives of the CIS Parliamentary Assembly (PA), led by the CIS PA Secretary-General Aleksey Segeyev, have been registered with the CCER.   

We will recall that Tajikistan is set to hold a referendum on constitutional amendments that would allow incumbent President Emomali Rahmon to run for office for an indefinite number of times.  The referendum is scheduled for May 22, 2016.