Presidential elections were held in Tajikistan on 6 November 2006.[1] The result was a victory for incumbent President Emomali Rahmonov, who won a third term in office after receiving 80% of the vote.[2]
Candidates
Five candidates contested the elections:
Emomali Rahmonov — incumbent president and a member of the dominant People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan. Constitutional provisions that had barred Rahmonov from seeking further terms had been controversially removed.
Abduhalim Ghafforov — registered as representing the Socialist Party, although this is not the original Socialist Party, which was denied registration.
A rally by opposition parties was broken up.[3] According to the BBC,[4] none of the four candidates opposing Rahmonov have publicly criticised him, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has said that "[n]o signs of a competitive campaign have been observed thus far".[5]
Conduct
CIS election monitors declared the elections "legal, free and transparent", while the OSCE condemned them, and the election has been called "flawed and unfair but peaceful."[6]