DUSHANBE, October 12, Asia-Plus - The first press conference given by Tajikistan’s Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) yesterday was dedicated to completion of the first phase of the presidential election campaign.  

The CCER spokesman Muhibullo Dodojonov noted that second phase of the campaign includes agitation carried out by candidates and their representatives.  “This phase includes meetings of candidates and their initiative groups with voters, giving talks with candidates on TV and radio and publication of their materials in print media.” Dodojonov said.  

Asked about types of ballot boxes, Dodojonov noted that 3,000 big and 3,000 small portable transparent boxes were delivered to Tajikistan in 2005.  “We have purchased another 1,000 boxes for the presidential election,” the CCER spokesman said.   .

He also noted that they had not received any complaints during the first phase of the election campaign.  At the same time, he noted that some misunderstandings with collection of signatures needed to register candidate had been solved immediately.  

Besides, the commission has received an application from one resident of Isfara who wanted to run in the president election as self-propelled candidate, according to Dodojonov.  “Since the country’s election legislation does not allow nominating candidate for president on the basis of self-propelling, the commission has refused his application,” the CCER official noted.

On the vote outside the republic, Dodojonov said that according to data of the Ministry of labor and Social Security, at present approximately 430,000 Tajik labor migrants are outside the country.  “As soon as lists of voters are prepared we will send voting-papers to all polling stations, including those set up outside the country, in accordance with established procedure,” said Dodojonov, “However, illegal labor migrants will have problems with participating in the voting for lack of appropriate documents.”  

Tajikistan’s central electoral commission has set up 25 polling stations for the upcoming presidential election outside Tajikistan.