Tajikistan Holds Parliamentary Elections Without Independent Observers – The Diplomat

The Central Commission for Elections and Referendums of Tajikistan (CCER) has announced the preliminary results of the elections for the country’s lower house of parliament, held on March 2, 2025.

Tajikistan’s Majlisi Namoyandagon consists of 63 deputies elected for a five-year term. Under the country’s electoral system, 41 deputies are elected through single-member districts, while 22 are chosen from a list of national political parties.

The People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan, the president’s party that historically dominates elections, received 2.43 million votes, accounting for 51.9 percent of the vote, and secured 12 of the 22 seats available through party lists. 986,000, or 21 percent, voted for the Agrarian Party of Tajikistan, giving it five seats, while the Party of Economic Reforms obtained three seats after receiving 595,000 votes, equating to 12.7 percent. Both the Democratic Party of Tajikistan and the Socialist Party of Tajikistan received around 250,000 votes, or 5 percent, each, resulting in three seats for both parties. Only 89,000 people, or 1.9 percent, voted for the Communist Party of Tajikistan, which thus failed to secure any seats. 

The People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan ended up with 49 of the 63 seats in the lower chamber, reflecting a typical dominant performance for the country’s ruling party.

A total of 3,500 election sites were established nationwide, with an additional 36 polling stations set up at Tajikistan’s diplomatic missions in 28 countries to accommodate citizens abroad. According to the CCER, 4.7 million people, or 85.3 percent, of a total of 5.5 million eligible voters participated in the elections – a dubiously high number, given widespread political apathy in Tajikistan, the lack of promotion surrounding the elections, and the timing of the elections during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which likely reduced foot traffic.

The elections were declared valid and successful by the government, with CCER Chairman Bakhtiyor Khudoyorzoda stating that “the elections were held openly and transparently, on a free and alternative basis, and the majority of voters participated with a sense of high civic responsibility.”

The results of the March 2 elections are difficult to verify independently.

Tajikistan remains one of the most restricted and undemocratic countries in the world, having been dominated since 1992 by President Emomali Rahmon, his family, and his People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan. Despite welcoming independent Western observers, such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), to oversee its electoral processes since 2000, Tajikistan has consistently faced considerable criticism regarding the lack of transparency and fairness after each presidential and parliamentary election. Electoral observation missions to Tajikistan have long produced unproductive reports, in which attempts at adhering to technical election requirements coincide with conclusions about a lack of credibility and transparency, coupled with farcically optimistic advice to a government that has never intended to comply.

The March 2 elections were the first in a quarter of a century that did not include independent Western observers. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) canceled its election observation mission merely two weeks after its initiation due to the failure to secure assurances from the Tajik authorities regarding the accreditation of international observers. And although the ODIHR stated that it “will continue to support Tajikistan in implementing the commitments it has made to strengthen democracy and human rights,” it is evident that Dushanbe is not particularly interested. 

Representatives from independent media outlets, including RFE/RL’s Tajik Service, Radio Ozodi; the BBC; and Asia-Plus, were also not accredited to cover the March 2 elections. Despite electoral law mandating that media accreditation requirements be announced publicly and well in advance, the procedures and deadlines for obtaining necessary permits were only posted on an internal page of the CCER’s website, and media outlets were not officially notified.

The five parties that participated in the elections alongside the People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan are only nominally oppositional. The real opposition to Dushanbe was not permitted to participate, and its members, nearly all based outside of Tajikistan now, have declared the March 2 elections as illegitimate. Sharofiddin Gadoev, chairman of the Amsterdam-based Movement for Reform and Development, disputed the voter turnout, alleging that only 300,000 individuals participated in casting ballots. The leader of Group 24, which is banned in Tajikistan, has also condemned the elections.

The long-awaited transition of power from the 72-year-old Rahmon to his son Rustam, the mayor of Dushanbe and the speaker of parliament, further adds to the regime’s desire to prevent any independent scrutiny and opposition as it consolidates support for the heir apparent.