DUSHANBE, October 11, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan’s Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) today registered another two candidates for the November 6 presidential election: Abduhalim Ghafforov and Amir Qaraqulov. 

Abduhalim Ghafforov is running on behalf from the Socialist Party (SPT) and Amir Qaraqulov is candidate of the Agrarian Party (APT).   

Central electoral commission noted that Socialists had collected 165,879 signatures to register their candidate.  The commission has selectively checked 18,270 signatures, and 598 signatures have been found invalid.  

Amir Qaraqulov, the leader of the Agrarian Party, has collected 175,622 signatures to register as candidate for president.  The CCER has selectively checked 18,900 signatures, and 354 signatures have been found invalid.  

On October 9, central electoral commission registered three candidates, including incumbent President Emomali Rahmonov (People’s Democratic Party), Ismoil Talbakov (Communist Party) and Olimjon Boboyev (Party of Economic Reforms), as well as their representatives.  

Thus, five candidates will run in the presidential election in Tajikistan.     

The CCER head Mirzoali Boltuyev noted that Democrats had failed to collect enough signatures to register their candidate Tavarali Ziyoyev.  “They have collected 120,000 signatures, while it was necessary to collect 160,000 signatures,” Boltuyev said.

Abduhalim Ghafforov said in an interview with Asia-Plus that his election platform is aimed, first of all, at improving the personnel policy, raising population’s living standards, fighting corruption and developing democratic institutions in the country.  “I hope for more representatives and supporters, who number some 5,000 people across the republic,” Ghafforov said.

The APT leader was more laconic, just saying, “I believe that the upcoming presidential election will be evidence of triumph of democracy.”