DUSHANBE, November 13, Asia-Plus - President Emomali Rahmonov today held a meeting with his former opponents for president, presidential press service reported.  

A source at presidential press service said that at present Rahmonov is meeting with Olimjon Boboyev of the Party of Economic Reforms, Amir Qaraqulov of the Agrarian Party, Abduhalim Ghafforov of the Socialist Party and Ismoil Talbakov of the Communist Party.   

Five candidates ran for presidency: the head of the Party of Economic Reforms, Tajik Transport Institute head Olimjon Boboyev, Socialist Party leader Abduhalim Ghafforov, Agrarian Party leader Amir Qaraqulov, incumbent President Emomali Rahmonov, who is also the leader of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, and the Communist Party Central Committee Secretary and a deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), Ismoil Talbakov.

The initial results of the polls give Rahmonov 79.3 of the vote.  The closest of his four opponents, Olimjon Boboyev of the Party of Economic Reforms, got 6.2 percent.  According to the initial report, Amir Qaraqulov got 5.3 percent, Ismoil Talbakov 5.1 percent and Abduhalim Ghafforov 2.8 percent.  1.3 percent of voting-papers were declared invalid.