DUSHANBE, October 2, 2013 Asia-Plus -- The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human  Rights (ODIHR) held a press conference in Dushanbe on October 2 for the formal opening of the election observation mission for the 2013 presidential election in Tajikistan that is scheduled for November 6.

Ambassador Paraschiva Badescu, the Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, noted that following an invitation from the Government of Tajikistan, the OSCE/ODIHR is conducting its fifth election observation mission in the country.

Ambassador Badescu outlined the Mission’s mandate, scale and the scope of its activities.   

According to her, in addition to a core team of experts numbering 13 persons, 16 long-term observers will be deployed throughout the country and 150 short-term observers will be deployed immediately prior to the November 6 election.  International exerts and observers from 22 OSCE participating states In all from 22 OSCE participating States will arrive in Tajikistan.