Elections in Tajikistan 2015 Parliamentary Elections

Transcription

1 Electins in Tajikistan 2015 Parliamentary Electins Frequently Asked Questins Eurpe and Asia Internatinal Fundatin fr Electral Systems 1850 K Street, NW Fifth Flr Washingtn, DC February 27, 2015

2 Frequently Asked Questins Wh will Tajikistani vters elect n March 1, 2015?... 1 What is the current plitical situatin in Tajikistan?... 1 Why are the parliamentary electins imprtant? What is at stake?... 3 What are the majr plitical parties running fr seats in the Majlisi Namyandagn?... 4 Wh can run fr a seat in Parliament?... 6 Wh is eligible t vte?... 6 Hw is the vter registry managed and maintained?... 6 What laws regulate the parliamentary electins in Tajikistan?... 6 Hw many registered vters are there?... 7 What is the structure f the gvernment?... 7 What is the gender balance within the candidate list?... 8 Hw will the campaigns be financed?... 8 What is the electin management bdy? What are its pwers?... 9 Hw many plling places are set up n Electin Day?... 9 Is ut-f-cuntry vting allwed?... 9 What is the media envirnment like? Wh can bserve during Electin Day? Hw can they get accreditatin? What is the legal prcess fr electral dispute adjudicatin? Resurces Disclsure: These FAQs reflect decisins made by the Tajik electin authrities as f February 27, 2015, t the best f ur knwledge. This dcument des nt represent any IFES plicy r technical recmmendatins.

3 Wh will Tajikistani vters elect n March 1, 2015? Electins in Tajikistan: 2015 Parliamentary Electins Frequently Asked Questins Vters f Tajikistan will cast ballts t elect 63 members f the Majlisi Namyandagn (Assembly f Representatives), the lwer huse f Tajikistan s bicameral Parliament, called the Majlisi Oli (Supreme Assembly). In the Majlisi Namyandagn, 41 members are directly elected by abslute majrity vte in single-member cnstituencies t serve five-year terms and 22 members are elected thrugh a clsed-list prprtinal representatin system t serve five-year terms. In the Majlisi Milli (Natinal Assembly), the upper huse f Parliament, 34 members are elected by indirect vte t serve five-year terms. The Majlisi Milli has 34 members, 25 elected fr a five-year term by lcal Majlisi members, with eight appinted by the President and ne seat reserved fr the frmer President. Electins t the Majlisi Milli will be held n March 27, Vters will als elect members f the legislatures f the Grn-Badakhshan Autnmus Regin, prvinces, Dushanbe City, ther cities, and districts n March 1, This will be the furth parliamentary electin held since the 1997 Cmprehensive Peace Accrds n Natinal Recnciliatin that ended the Tajik Civil War ( ). On December 5, 2014, the President cnfirmed March 1 as Electin Day. Fr this electin, campaigning begins nce a candidate r party list is registered, and lasts until 24 hurs befre Electin Day. Party lists fr the natinwide cntest may be declared frm the mment f the electin s annuncement, while candidates fr single-mandate districts can be nminated starting 60 days befre the electins. The nminatin perid fr bth cncludes 45 days befre Electin Day. Bth the party list and majritarian vtes require 50 percent turnut fr the electin t be valid. Plitical parties will need t surmunt a 5 percent threshld, while majritarian candidates require 50 percent plus ne f vtes cast t be elected frm their respective districts. The Cnstitutin f Tajikistan establishes that mre than half f all registered vters must vte fr the electin t be valid; if this threshld is nt reached, the electin is cnsidered failed and new electins will be called. If n candidate running fr a majritarian seat receives an abslute majrity f vtes, a secnd rund will be held between the tw candidates wh receive the mst vtes. The secnd rund must take place within ne mnth, but nt sner than 15 days after the first rund. What is the current plitical situatin in Tajikistan? The gvernment, dminated by the ruling Peple s Demcratic Party f Tajikistan led by President Emmali Rahmn, dminates plitical life in the cuntry. It tightly cntrls the media, and clsely mnitrs the activities f all plitical ppsitin, which has becme smaller inside Tajikistan since the last parliamentary electins in Campaigning by plitical parties and individual candidates has been restricted t being dne thrugh the mass media, with n large rallies r even electin psters permitted. Page 1 f 12

4 Internatinal Fundatin fr Electral Systems In 2014, several key events illuminated the enduring challenges that cnfrnt Tajikistan s plitical evlutin. As a pst-sviet State that has, as many f its neighbrs, becme in recent years mre suspicius f effrts t assist the cuntry s demcratic develpment thrugh utside financing f NGOs r thrugh direct technical supprt, Tajikistan remains skeptical f utside entities wrking within its brders. As such, in May 2014, the gvernment intrduced legislatin that wuld carefully regulate NGO peratins, much t the chagrin f civil sciety grups. 1 If enacted, NGOs will face a significant increase in red tape. Under an amended Law n Public Assciatins, NGOs wuld implement freign gvernmentbacked prgrams nly after funding registratin apprval frm the Ministry f Justice. Althugh the legislatin is in the drafting phase, the prpsal signals the intentins f the gvernment t build upn existing regulatins f NGOs. As a shw f cllective dissent t the bill, 92 rights grups signed an pen letter advising the Tajik gvernment t allw NGOs t perate with greater dexterity regarding funding practices. 2 Digital freedms were similarly restricted in Numerus websites, including scial netwrking sites Facebk and YuTube, went dark fr a perid that began in early Octber. Frm Octber 9-11, SMS services were blcked acrss the cuntry by the State Telecmmunicatin Service. The gvernment denied respnsibility by claiming the utages were caused by technical prblems, while media surces alleged the blckages were a direct State respnse t a scial media call by the ppsitin mvement Grup 24 t rganize a mass antigvernment rally in Dushanbe. 3 On Octber 9, Tajikistan s Supreme Curt issued a ban n Grup 24, declaring it an extremist rganizatin. The grup s printed materials were similarly banned. These restrictins, cupled with recent events like the suspicius detainment f nted Islamic Renaissance Party f Tajikistan (IRPT) leader Jamliddin Mahmudv, illuminate the measures the Tajik gvernment is willing t undertake t ensure cntrl f the cuntry s plitical space ahead f electins. The gvernment s pre-electin mindset is further evidenced by new rules intrduced fr the 2015 parliamentary electins, which include a ban n utdr campaigning, aimed at preventing large, mass rallies nrmally held utdrs. Campaigning has nw been restricted t the mass media nly. Campaign psters, cmmn in previus electins and psted n walls, billbards, r ther public places in previus electins, have nw been banned. The electin authrities have als instated a new, rigrus Tajik language requirement that prspective candidates will need t pass in rder t be eligible fr electin; many native, highly-educated speakers claim the test is exceptinally difficult and will prevent even native-fluency candidates frm getting registered. Anther imprtant factr is that as f the 2015 electin, ut-f-cuntry vters will nly be able t legally vte in fficial Tajikistani embassies r cnsulates abrad. This means that the apprximately ne millin Tajik citizens living and wrking in the 1 NGO Law Mnitr: Tajikistan. (Last updated 2014, Nvember 28). The Internatinal Center fr Nt-fr-Prfit-Law. Retrieved frm 2 Jamshed, Y. (2014, Nvember 14). Restrictive NGO Law n the Way in Tajikistan. Institute fr War and Peace Reprting. Retrieved frm 3 Chrnicle: Highlights f Octber, (2014, Nvember 3). Asia Plus. Retrieved frm Page 2 f 12

5 Electins in Tajikistan: 2015 Parliamentary Electins Frequently Asked Questins Russian Federatin will be frced t vte in ne f nly three plling statins in the cuntry (lcated in Mscw, Yekaterinburg and Ufa), in cntrast t the 24 fficial plling statins lcated n the territry f the Russian Federatin during the Octber 2013 presidential electins. Labr migrants have shwn a prclivity fr supprting ppsitin parties, and the IRPT has taken great effrt t curt these vters as part f its utreach and cmmunicatins strategy. Why are the parliamentary electins imprtant? What is at stake? At stake are 63 seats in the natinal Parliament, which has widely been cnsidered t be a rubber stamp fr the gvernment due t the Peple s Demcratic Party f Tajikistan s (PDPT) verwhelming majrity f members. The fledging ppsitin parties have steadily seen their representatin in gvernment neutralized since the signing f the Peace Accrds 18 years ag, with the limited plitical space nw shared with tw new pr-gvernment parties, the Agrarian Party and the Party f Ecnmic Refrms. Tajikistan is in the midst f an ecnmic crisis that has seen hundreds f thusands f its citizens travel abrad in search f emplyment. Arguably the mst pressing challenge t Tajikistan s stability is the gvernment s nging struggle t revive the ecnmy. Accrding t the Wrld Bank, at least 80 percent f the ppulatin resides beneath the pverty line. Furthermre, the stunted grwth f the industrial sectr, cupled with Tajikistan s underdevelped educatin infrastructure, adds an additinal hurdle t the ecnmic prblems plaguing the cuntry. Slving this cmplex sciecnmic crisis is impeded mst, hwever, by Tajikistan s anachrnistic gvernment. Due t the authritarian-style makeup f the Tajik gvernment, unmitigated ecnmic wes d nt pse an existential threat t the ruling party. Reversing the dire ecnmic situatin relies upn a paradigmatic shift in the status qu a change precnditined by structural refrms at the State level. If a pragmatic gvernment can be established t replace the existing ne, then a number f the mst critical issues in Tajikistan can be effectively treated, as these issues are largely interrelated. Endemic crruptin and crime, as well as imprved relatins with reginal pwers demand the attentin f a practive, slutinsriented gvernment cncerned with plicy rather than pwer. Imprving relatins with neighbr States while addressing dmestic factrs like crime are crucial first steps t lifting Tajikistan frm its ecnmic cellar. Yuth are becming increasingly vulnerable due t the faltering educatin system and lw emplyment prspects, making them yung men in particular mre susceptible t recruiting by fundamentalist grups including the Islamic State grup. Crruptin cntinues t be a serius prblem, as the cuntry ranks 152 nd n Transparency Internatinal s 2014 Crruptin Perceptins Index. 4 Tajikistan is increasingly dependent upn the Russian Federatin, mainly fr its ecnmic wherewithal thrugh investment (a Crruptin Perceptins Index. (2014). Transparency Internatinal. Retrieved frm Page 3 f 12

6 Internatinal Fundatin fr Electral Systems Russian firms wns the largest factry in the cuntry, the aluminum plant based in Tursunzade) r via remittances frm labr migrants, which cunts fr nearly 50 percent f Grss Dmestic Prduct. Public apathy and cynicism in plitics is high, and the electins t the Majlisi Namyandagn as well as lcal ffices represent the nly real pprtunity fr Tajik citizens t express their plitical views thrugh electing their leaders, prvided f curse there is a level playing field. With the plitical ppsitin discredited and facing an uncertain future, the parliamentary electins serve as a srt f referendum n demcracy in Tajikistan, and the chice between a Russian-inspired mdel f a single, dminant prpresidential plitical party with limited plitical cmpetitin r a mre representative, multi-party demcracy envisined in the 1997 Peace Accrds and inclusive f a wider spectrum f plitical interests. The new Parliament will face a hst f issues, ranging frm brader security and sciecnmic prblems such as terrrism and insufficient human capital t institutinal shrtcmings that have led t severe lgistical challenges such as water shrtages, and infrastructural deficiencies manifested in transprtatin gridlck and electricity blackuts. Tajikistan als faces the need t cnstruct an idelgical platfrm, which wuld encurage patritism, pride f cultural and natinal heritage, as well as cunterbalance hstile prpaganda against the cuntry. What are the majr plitical parties running fr seats in the Majlisi Namyandagn? There are eight registered plitical parties running fr seats in the Majlisi Namyandagn: The parties are: Peple's Demcratic Party f Tajikistan (PDPT) Leader: Emmali Rahmn Seats wn in the 2010 Assembly f Representatives electin: 54 Seats frm natinwide cnstituency: 16; seats frm single-mandate cnstituencies: 38 Cmmunist Party f Tajikistan (CPT) Leader: Shdi Shabdlv Seats wn in the 2010 Assembly f Representatives electin: 2 Seats frm natinwide cnstituency: 2 Islamic Renaissance Party f Tajikistan (IRPT) Leader: Muhiddin Kabiri Seats wn in the 2010 Assembly f Representatives electin: 2 Seats frm natinwide cnstituency: 2 Page 4 f 12

7 Electins in Tajikistan: 2015 Parliamentary Electins Frequently Asked Questins Scial Demcratic Party f Tajikistan (SDPT) Leader: Rahmatull Zyirv Seats wn in 2010 Assembly f Representatives electin: 0 Party f Ecnmic Refrms (PER) Leader: Olimjn Bbe Seats wn in the 2010 Assembly f Representatives electin: 2 Seats frm natinwide cnstituency: 1; seats frm single-mandate cnstituencies: 1 Scialist Party f Tajikistan (SPT) Leader: Abduhalim Ghafarv Seats wn in the 2010 Assembly f Representatives electin: 0 Agrarian Party f Tajikistan (APT) Leader: Amir Qaraqulv Seats wn in the 2010 Assembly f Representatives electin: 2 Seats frm natinwide cnstituency: 1; seats frm single-mandate cnstituencies: 1 The PDPT is heavily favred t retain its large majrity f seats in the Majlisi Namyandagn, which it has cmfrtably cntrlled since the first pst-civil war electins t that bdy in Exercising cntrl ver the media, the PDPT-cntrlled gvernment makes use f State administrative resurces t cnduct its electin campaign. Plitical parties are largely restricted by their electin law-mandated 40 minutes f air time, while majritarian candidates are alltted a mere 20 minutes. Mass campaign rallies were banned fr this electin by the gvernment, which represents a break frm previus parliamentary electins. In additin, parties appear t be self-censring under gvernment pressure, which has made this an exceptinally quiet pre-electin perid. The IRPT and the Scial Demcratic Party f Tajikistan have allegedly experienced plitical pressure, leading t cncerns the electral prcess is an inequitable ne. A bigger and perhaps mre imprtant questin cncerns the ppsitin parties and the functining f the Tajikistani multi-party system generally. In 2010, tw upstart, pr-gvernment parties the Party f Ecnmic Refrms and the Agrarian Party each wn tw seats in the Parliament, exactly the same number f seats wn by the Cmmunist Party and the IRPT, tw lng-standing plitical entities with significant cnstituencies in the cuntry. It nt nly remains unclear if these parties will win seats in these electins, but als whether the gvernment (after years spent slwly erding the terms f the 1997 Peace Accrds that established, at least in thery, a level plitical playing field fr the frmer cmbatants), will cntinue tlerating plitical ppsitin within fficial bdies at all. Much has been dne t discredit r c-pt members f the IRPT and lesser ppsitin parties such as the Scial Demcratic Party f Tajikistan. Page 5 f 12

8 Internatinal Fundatin fr Electral Systems But the tightening f the plitical space and pressure frm the gvernment (which has included grups f persns hired t disrupt internal party meetings) may drive these parties further int irrelevancy. Wh can run fr a seat in Parliament? Citizens f Tajikistan abve the age f 25, wh have a higher educatin, cmmand f the State language, and citizenship fr the last five years may be nminated fr a seat in Parliament. Peple in certain prfessinal ccupatins, such as military persnnel, law enfrcement fficials, and religius functinaries are nt permitted t stand as candidates. In additin, individuals cnvicted f a serius crime, alng with thse hlding un-expunged recrds in cnnectin with any ther crime and thse under investigatin fr cmmitting serius crimes lack the right t stand fr electin. The abve regulatins are in place despite the Organizatin fr Security and C-peratin in Eurpe s Office fr Demcratic Institutins and Human Rights previus recmmendatins t remve unreasnable restrictins fr candidacy such as thse relating t higher educatin, criminal recrds and investigatins. Independent candidates need their nminatin endrsed with 500 supprting signatures. Tw hundred and eighty-eight candidates have been registered fr the 63 available seats in the Majlisi Namyandagn. Of these, 185 are nminated frm single-mandate districts, and 103 are frm the party lists. Wh is eligible t vte? Citizens ver 18 years f age have the right t vte in the 2015 parliamentary electins. Vter eligibility is restricted fr Tajik citizens wh have been declared incapacitated by a curt r are imprisned, regardless f the severity f the crime cmmitted. Hw is the vter registry managed and maintained? In Tajikistan, there is n central vter register. Instead, each Precinct Electin Cmmissin (PEC) cmpiles lists f vters based n data prvided by lcal executive authrities. Vter lists are made public 15 days prir t Electin Day. Frm the time vter lists are published thrugh the end f Electin Day, a vter may be added t a supplementary vter list by presenting their passprt r anther identity dcument. The absence f a central vter register leaves Tajikistan susceptible t vter fraud and inaccuracies in the vter lists due t multiple registratins and multiple vting by a single persn. What laws regulate the parliamentary electins in Tajikistan? There are three key dcuments regulating parliamentary electins in Tajikistan: Cnstitutin f Tajikistan, 1994 Page 6 f 12

9 Electins in Tajikistan: 2015 Parliamentary Electins Frequently Asked Questins Cnstitutinal Law n Electins t Parliament, als knwn as the Parliamentary Electins Law (PEL), 1999 (last amended in July 2014) Central Cmmissin n Electins and Referenda (CCER) instructins and reslutins Additinally, these cre dcuments are supplemented by prvisins f ther legislatin. These include applicable clauses cntained in the Law n Plitical Parties; the Law n Public Meetings, Demnstratins and Rallies; the Civil Prcedures Cde, the Cde f Administrative Offenses; the Criminal Cde and the Law n Peridical Print and Other Mass Media. 5 Hw many registered vters are there? The current number f vters is estimated at 4.2 millin, including a significant prtin residing abrad. Attempts t apprximate the number f registered vters in Tajikistan are cmplicated by the absence f a central vter register. Vter lists are cmpiled at the lcal level by Precinct Electin Cmmissins (PECs) and are made public 15 days prir t Electin Day. After the vter lists are published, vters still have the pprtunity t be added t a supplementary vter list by presenting their passprt r anther identity dcument t PEC fficials this can be dne thrugh Electin Day. What is the structure f the gvernment? Tajikistan is a republic, with three branches f gvernment: executive, legislative and judicial. Tajikistan has a strng presidential system f gvernment; the President has brad pwers ver the ther branches. The Parliament is a bi-cameral legislature cnsisting f 34 seats in the indirectly elected upper huse, called the Majlisi Milli (Natinal Assembly), and 63 seats in the directly elected lwer huse, the Majlisi Namyandagn (Assembly f Representatives). In the Majlisi Milli, 34 members are elected thrugh an indirect vte t serve five-year terms. Of these, 25 are selected by lcal deputies, eight are appinted by the President and ne seat is reserved fr the frmer President. All members are appinted either by the President r fficials the President has appinted. In the Majlisi Namyandagn, 41 members are elected by an abslute majrity vte in singlemember cnstituencies t serve five-year terms, and 22 members are elected thrugh a clsed-list prprtinal representatin system t serve five-year terms. The President appints the members f the Supreme Curt and ther key judicial psitins. 5 Tajikistan, Presidential Electin, 6 Nvember 2013: Interim Reprt. (2013, Octber 22). OSCE Office fr Demcratic Institutins and Human Rights. Retrieved frm Page 7 f 12

10 Internatinal Fundatin fr Electral Systems What is the gender balance within the candidate list? Frmally, there is n gender quta set by law, hwever there is infrmal instructin frm the gvernment t include wmen in party lists fr electins with prprtinal representatin. Female candidates in clsed list prprtinal vte in the 2015 parliamentary electins: Cmmunist Party f Tajikistan: 7 candidates (1 female) Islamic Renaissance Party f Tajikistan: 27 candidates (7 females) Peple s Demcratic Party f Tajikistan: 27 candidates (11 females) Agrarian Party f Tajikistan: 11 candidates (2 females) Demcratic Party f Tajikistan: 4 candidates (n females) Scial Demcratic Party f Tajikistan: 6 candidates (1 female) Party f Ecnmic Refrms: 6 candidates (1 female) Wmen cnstitute abut 19 percent f all candidates Out f 185 candidates registered in single-mandate districts, 32 are wmen Number f female legislatrs: 9 (15.5 percent f Majlisi Oli [Supreme Assembly]) Nine female legislatrs ut f 63 legislatrs in Majlisi Namyandagn Hw will the campaigns be financed? Plitical parties and candidates can fund their campaigns frm their wn resurces and dnatins frm individuals and legal entities, except frm freign r state-wned surces. There is public campaign financing available t each candidate and plitical party, in the sum f 3,000 TJS ($550 USD) and 30,000 TJS ($5,500 USD) respectively. 6 The law, hwever, als requires an initial financial depsit f 4,000 TJS ($714 USD) fr each candidate, including thse n party lists. Financial pledges are returned nly t parties that receive mre than 5 percent f the vtes natinwide, and single-cnstituency candidates with at least 10 percent frm their district. Mst plitical parties nted that they lacked the financial resurces t munt an effective campaign. The Central Cmmissin n Electins and Referenda versees campaign finance rules, but n deadlines and details fr reprting by parties and candidates are defined in law. 6 Tajikistan, Presidential Electin, 6 Nvember 2013: Interim Reprt. (2013, Octber 22). OSCE Office fr Demcratic Institutins and Human Rights. Retrieved frm Page 8 f 12

11 Electins in Tajikistan: 2015 Parliamentary Electins Frequently Asked Questins What is the electin management bdy? What are its pwers? The 2015 parliamentary electins are administered by a three-tier system f electin cmmissins, cmprised f the Central Cmmissin n Electins and Referenda (CCER), 68 District Electin Cmmissins (DECs) and 3,155 Precinct Electin Cmmissins (PECs). There is a legal instructin, but n mandatry law, requiring plitical diversity n the three levels f electin management bdies in Tajikistan. In practical terms, n party utside f the Peple s Demcratic Party f Tajikistan has the wherewithal t nminate lcal plling fficials r dispatch party bservers t each plling statin acrss the cuntry. The CCER is the highest and nly permanent electral bdy in Tajikistan. Its members are appinted t five-year terms. The President prpses the 15 CCER members, including the Chairpersn and Deputy Chairpersn, wh must be cnfirmed by the lwer chamber f Parliament. At the mment, all registered plitical parties are represented in the current CCER; three f its members are wmen. The CCER is principally respnsible fr ensuring preparatin and cnduct f electins and referenda in Tajikistan. The CCER is guided by the Cnstitutin f Tajikistan, the Presidential Electin Law and its wn instructins and reslutins, as well as prvisins f ther laws that pertain t electins. The CCER is lcated in Dushanbe, Tajikistan s capital. Hw many plling places are set up n Electin Day? Vting will take place in 3,155 Precinct Electin Cmmissins (PECs) set up n Electin Day, supprted by 68 District Electin Cmmissins (DECs). There will be 35 plling statins fr the cnduct f ut-f-cuntry vting in 27 cuntries. Is ut-f-cuntry vting allwed? There are prvisins t allw ut-f-cuntry vting. Hwever, the number f plling statins has been recently significantly reduced fllwing recently intrduced regulatins limiting such statins t nly fficial embassies and cnsulates abrad. In cntrast t the 24 lcatins accessible t Tajik vters in the Russian Federatin fr the previus electins, nly three will be available this time. Tajik citizens abrad may vte in the presidential electin in 27 ther cuntries. Plling statins will be lcated in Russia, Afghanistan, Turkey, China, the United States, thrughut Central Asia and Eurpe, amng ther lcatins. The Central Cmmissin n Electins and Referenda estimates there are apprximately 900,000 eligible vters currently residing abrad. A large percentage f thse eligible vters are living in Russia, where they take jbs as either as seasnal labrers r semi-permanent migrant wrkers. Page 9 f 12

12 Internatinal Fundatin fr Electral Systems What is the media envirnment like? While Tajikistan s Cnstitutin cites freedm f expressin and infrmatin and prhibits censrship, the media is tightly cntrlled by the gvernment. Althugh there are a number f nminally independent media utlets, the gvernment has cautined media and plitical parties against being t critical, reminding them nt t frget their respnsibility fr scial stability and criminal penalties fr insulting the President and ther fficials are in place. At the same time, State media has cntinued t discredit the ppsitin, highlighting alleged criminal activities and airing unflattering cmmentaries abut individual ppsitin party leaders. Still, critical cmmentaries have appeared via scial media, a medium the gvernment has struggled t regulate. The best the gvernment can d t cntrl these frums f criticism is blck websites and impse punitive measures n individual cmmentatrs and statins within its cntrl, such as nt renewing bradcasting licenses. In Tajikistan, natinal televisin channels are the primary surce f plitical infrmatin. All natinal televisin channels are State-wned, and private bradcast media nly perate at the reginal level. In spite f this, Tajikistan enjys a relatively diverse media envirnment. While Internet use thrughut the cuntry remains lw, web-based news surces and scial media have played an increasingly imprtant rle in urban areas, althugh access t these sites is ccasinally blcked by the gvernment. Access t main scial netwrks and websites ffering news has been blcked repeatedly thrughut this past year, with authrities failing t prvide any meaningful justificatin. Varius ther legal and administrative means, including revcatin f licenses, targeted tax inspectins and denial f the use f printing facilities have been used t inhibit independent jurnalism. The Central Cmmissin n Electins and Referenda allcates 40 minutes f free airtime n State-run televisin and radi t each party list, and 20 minutes t each majritarian candidate. This gives candidates an pprtunity t present their electral platfrms t the Tajik public. In 2013, the Law n Peridical Print and Other Mass Media was passed, which is anticipated t increase access t infrmatin by jurnalists. Wh can bserve during Electin Day? Hw can they get accreditatin? On Electin Day, in-cuntry bservatin may nly be cnducted by media, plitical parties, and candidates representatives (if self-nminated). The law, hwever, des nt prvide fr nn-partisan citizen bservers r thse frm dmestic NGOs. Internatinal bservers are prvided fr in law. On February 20, the Central Cmmissin n Electins and Referenda (CCER) annunced it expects mre than 500 internatinal bservers t mnitr the 2015 parliamentary electins. The CCER als annunced it has accredited 208 internatinal bservers frm the Cmmnwealth f Independent States (CIS), CIS Inter-parliamentary Assembly and the Organizatin fr Security and C-peratin in Eurpe s Office fr Demcratic Institutins and Human Rights. The Organizatin fr Security and C-peratin in Eurpe will send nearly 50 parliamentary deputies frm 23 Page 10 f 12

13 Electins in Tajikistan: 2015 Parliamentary Electins Frequently Asked Questins member cuntries. Bth lcal and internatinal bservers have the right t attend sessins f electin cmmissins; receive cpies f fficial dcuments; meet with candidates and ther participants f the electin prcess; freely visit plling statins; and bserve vting, cunting and tabulatin f results. Accrding t the Cnstitutin, infrmatin n the result f the electin f deputies f the Majlisi Namyandagn shall be published in the press by the CCER within 10 days f Electin Day, thugh there is n strict deadline. What is the legal prcess fr electral dispute adjudicatin? As utlined by the Presidential Electin Law, electin disputes are adjudicated by electin cmmissins. Decisins made by electin cmmissins can be appealed t a higher-level electin cmmissin r the curts, with the Supreme Curt wielding final decisin authrity. As f February 10, electin cmmissins have received 46 cmplaints, the majrity f which were submitted by the Islamic Renaissance Party f Tajikistan. All cmplaints were rejected n substance r dismissed n prcedural grunds. The Central Cmmissin n Electins and Referenda and the Supreme Curt have declared effrts t train lwer-level cmmissins and curts in handling cmplaints. Page 11 f 12

14 Internatinal Fundatin fr Electral Systems Resurces Cnstitutin f Tajikistan (1994) Law n Electins t the Majlisi Oli Organizatin fr Security and C-peratin in Eurpe (OSCE): Tajikistan, Parliamentary Electins, February 2015: Needs Assessment Missin Reprt (Nvember 25, 2014) OSCE s Office fr Demcratic Institutins and Human Rights: Tajikistan, Parliamentary Electins, 1 March 2015: Interim Reprt (February 13, 2015) Transparency Internatinal s 2014 Crruptin Perceptins Index The Central Asia Caucasus Analyst Freedm Huse: Tajikistan Page 12 f 12