Amid little hopes for change, people in the Muslim-majority Central Asian republic of Tajikistan voted on Sunday, February 28, in legislative elections certain to tighten the grip of long-serving President Emomali Rakhmon despite popular discontent.
"The election results are known in advance -- a victory for the president's party," Salim, 58, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"That means more seats in parliament for his party, which lobbies for the interests of the authorities."
Seven parties are vying in the polls, including the opposition Islamic Revival Party (IRR), the only legally registered party in the former Soviet Central Asia.
But the outcome is largely expected to tighten the grip of Rakhmon’s ruling Democratic People’s Party, which holds 57 in the 63-seat parliament.
"This is an important political event for Tajikistan to promote economic and social life," said Rakhmon standing alongside his 23-year-old son who is running for a seat on Dushanbe's city council, considered a possible first step in a succession plan.
"The more transparent and democratic the elections are, the higher Tajikistan's credibility will be on the world stage."
The vote comes amid growing concerns in the West that potential instability in Tajikistan could undermine their war efforts in neighboring Afghanistan.
The West relies on Tajikistan to transit supplies for NATO troops and harbor thousands of refugees from war-torn Afghanistan.
Tajikistan, one of the five Central Asian countries of the former Soviet Union, won independence in 1991.
Muslims constitute nearly 90 percent of the 7.2 million population, according to the CIA Fact Book.
Hopeless
Many people are pessimistic about the elections especially that the country has never held an election judged free and fair by international observers.
"There is no hope," Alisher Sodiyev, a 62-year-old resident of Dushanbe, told Reuters after casting his ballot.
"They will not allow the party I have voted for into parliament."
People have become increasingly frustrated with Rakhmon's government due to deepening economic crisis and poverty.
Up to half the work force left the country to earn a living abroad, mostly in Russia.
Contenders and observers have already recorded several vote irregularities.
"Interference in the electoral process by members of the electoral commission is very high, as is the interference of men in civilian clothes, although it is not clear who they are," IRP leader Mukhiddin Kabiri told AFP.
He asserted that his supporters had already registered "numerous irregularities" during the voting.
"Those include multiple voting, voting for family members and hindering the work of our observers by elections officials."
A western observer also cited irregularities in Rakhmon’s home constituency of Dangara.
"The candidate showed up to vote only to find out that someone had voted for him already," said the observer who had witnessed other irregularities such as multiple voting and ballot stuffing.
"The election results are known in advance -- a victory for the president's party," Salim, 58, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"That means more seats in parliament for his party, which lobbies for the interests of the authorities."
Seven parties are vying in the polls, including the opposition Islamic Revival Party (IRR), the only legally registered party in the former Soviet Central Asia.
But the outcome is largely expected to tighten the grip of Rakhmon’s ruling Democratic People’s Party, which holds 57 in the 63-seat parliament.
"This is an important political event for Tajikistan to promote economic and social life," said Rakhmon standing alongside his 23-year-old son who is running for a seat on Dushanbe's city council, considered a possible first step in a succession plan.
"The more transparent and democratic the elections are, the higher Tajikistan's credibility will be on the world stage."
The vote comes amid growing concerns in the West that potential instability in Tajikistan could undermine their war efforts in neighboring Afghanistan.
The West relies on Tajikistan to transit supplies for NATO troops and harbor thousands of refugees from war-torn Afghanistan.
Tajikistan, one of the five Central Asian countries of the former Soviet Union, won independence in 1991.
Muslims constitute nearly 90 percent of the 7.2 million population, according to the CIA Fact Book.
Hopeless
Many people are pessimistic about the elections especially that the country has never held an election judged free and fair by international observers.
"There is no hope," Alisher Sodiyev, a 62-year-old resident of Dushanbe, told Reuters after casting his ballot.
"They will not allow the party I have voted for into parliament."
People have become increasingly frustrated with Rakhmon's government due to deepening economic crisis and poverty.
Up to half the work force left the country to earn a living abroad, mostly in Russia.
Contenders and observers have already recorded several vote irregularities.
"Interference in the electoral process by members of the electoral commission is very high, as is the interference of men in civilian clothes, although it is not clear who they are," IRP leader Mukhiddin Kabiri told AFP.
He asserted that his supporters had already registered "numerous irregularities" during the voting.
"Those include multiple voting, voting for family members and hindering the work of our observers by elections officials."
A western observer also cited irregularities in Rakhmon’s home constituency of Dangara.
"The candidate showed up to vote only to find out that someone had voted for him already," said the observer who had witnessed other irregularities such as multiple voting and ballot stuffing.
