live Trump: 'Hopefully we are towards the end of the war'
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he hoped the war against Iran was nearing its end and that Tehran wanted to reach a deal, but Iran di...
Over 5.5M voters eligible head to polls, 220 candidates compete for 63 parliamentary seats
Tajikistan is holding general elections on Sunday to elect members of parliament and local councils, with more than 5.5 million registered voters eligible to cast their ballots across 3,513 polling stations nationwide.
The elections will determine the composition of the lower house of parliament, the House of Representatives, as well as provincial and district municipal councils.
A total of 220 candidates from six political parties -- the People’s Democratic Party, Communist Party, Democratic Party, Party of Economic Reforms, Agrarian Party, and Socialist Party -- are competing for 63 parliamentary seats under a mixed electoral system.
Of these, 22 seats will be filled through proportional representation, while the remaining 41 will be decided through a majoritarian system.
For Tajik citizens living abroad, 36 polling stations have been set up at diplomatic missions in 28 foreign countries.
International monitoring
More than 200 international observers from organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States are monitoring the elections.
Additionally, Ahmet Yener, the chairman of Türkiye’s Supreme Election Council, is in Tajikistan with other council members to observe the voting process.
However, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is notably absent.
Last month, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights announced that “the absence of accreditation guarantees for international OSCE observers” had forced the organization to cancel its monitoring mission.
Political landscape and past election results
In the last parliamentary elections held in March 2020, the ruling People’s Democratic Party secured 47 out of 63 seats in the House of Representatives.
The Agrarian Party won seven seats, the Party of Economic Reforms five, the Communist Party two, while the Socialist Party and Democratic Party each gained one seat after surpassing the 5% electoral threshold.
As Tajikistan’s electorate votes, the results of these elections will determine the country's political direction for the coming years.
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying Tehran will not negotiate until its conditions are met.
A Danish military helicopter came within “metres” of being struck by flares fired by a Russian warship, Denmark's Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said on Tuesday. Russia accused Denmark of carrying out “dangerous manoeuvres” near its ship, and said it was investigating the incident.
Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter prohibited airspace over the holy city, as attacks by the Iran-aligned group deepen regional tensions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was carrying out tests on a new weapon to intercept drones and had recorded a successful hit overnight.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is outlining the EU's priorities in her annual State of the Union address, covering security, support for Ukraine, trade with China, migration, climate and artificial intelligence.
Mohammad Saeed had just turned 18 when he fled to Iran with his parents and younger brother and sister, escaping the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Kazakhstan's oil production remains strong, with around 4.4 billion tonnes of recoverable oil reserves - the total volume of oil that can be technically and economically extracted -- while its geological reserves are estimated at 13.2 billion tonnes, according to the country’s Energy Ministry.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held high-level talks in Seoul aimed at expanding South Korean investment, industrial cooperation and partnerships in technology, finance and infrastructure.
From new Asia-Europe trade routes to investment, energy and security cooperation, the Organization of Turkic States has grown far beyond its original focus on shared language and culture.
Central Asia and South Korea are targeting annual trade of $20 billion by 2030, almost double last year’s record of more than $10 billion, following a proposal at their first leaders’ summit in Seoul.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment