Newsroom
Tajik conference prepares for 2005 general elections
DUSHANBE 3 April 2003
DUSHANBE, 3 April 2003 - A conference held today in the Tajik capital focused on the country's preparations for parliamentary elections to be held in 2005.
Participants at the event, which was organized by the Tajik Parliament with support from the OSCE, agreed on the need to improve election legislation and practice.
Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloev, Chairman of Tajikistan's Upper Chamber of Parliament described the meeting as "a new step by the Tajik side in its sincere determination to implement its international commitments and to go for more democracy."
He and the Chairman of the Lower Chamber Sadullo Hairulloev, opened the conference which had three aims:
Konrad Olszewski, an election adviser with the ODIHR, reported the views of his Office. The participants, who agreed on the need to improve the election legislation and practice, created a working group to draft recommendations to be forwarded to Parliament.
"At a moment when Tajikistan needs increased support to tackle the challenges it is confronted with, there is no doubt that this process will be welcomed by the OSCE community," said Ambassador Marc Gilbert, Head of OSCE Centre.
The OSCE, the UN Tajikistan Office of Peace-building (UNTOP), the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) offered their support and expertise.
Participants at the event, which was organized by the Tajik Parliament with support from the OSCE, agreed on the need to improve election legislation and practice.
Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloev, Chairman of Tajikistan's Upper Chamber of Parliament described the meeting as "a new step by the Tajik side in its sincere determination to implement its international commitments and to go for more democracy."
He and the Chairman of the Lower Chamber Sadullo Hairulloev, opened the conference which had three aims:
- to report on conclusions of the joint UN-OSCE observation mission and recommendations of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) after the February 2000 parliamentary elections,
- to inform participants about the programme for preparation of the forthcoming elections prepared by the Central Commission on Elections and Referenda, and
- to organize a debate on these issues between members of Parliament and of political parties, including those which are not represented in Parliament.
Konrad Olszewski, an election adviser with the ODIHR, reported the views of his Office. The participants, who agreed on the need to improve the election legislation and practice, created a working group to draft recommendations to be forwarded to Parliament.
"At a moment when Tajikistan needs increased support to tackle the challenges it is confronted with, there is no doubt that this process will be welcomed by the OSCE community," said Ambassador Marc Gilbert, Head of OSCE Centre.
The OSCE, the UN Tajikistan Office of Peace-building (UNTOP), the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) offered their support and expertise.