DUSHANBE -- Tajikistan has extended a deadline for the collection of voter signatures required by presidential candidates.
The chief of the Central Election and Referendums Commission, Aburahmon Dodoed, told journalists that the original October 7 deadline has been moved back to October 10.
He said the decision was made after the Communist, Socialist, and Democratic parties all complained they had not been given enough time to collect supporter signatures under the original cutoff.
Only longtime President Emomali Rahmon, who was officially nominated on October 4 to run in the November 6 election, is said to have collected the necessary 210,000 signatures.
Last month, opposition presidential candidate Oinihol Bobonazarova, who hopes to represent the United Reformist Forces, accused police of interfering in her campaign by arresting her campaigners while they collected supporter signatures.
The chief of the Central Election and Referendums Commission, Aburahmon Dodoed, told journalists that the original October 7 deadline has been moved back to October 10.
He said the decision was made after the Communist, Socialist, and Democratic parties all complained they had not been given enough time to collect supporter signatures under the original cutoff.
Only longtime President Emomali Rahmon, who was officially nominated on October 4 to run in the November 6 election, is said to have collected the necessary 210,000 signatures.
Last month, opposition presidential candidate Oinihol Bobonazarova, who hopes to represent the United Reformist Forces, accused police of interfering in her campaign by arresting her campaigners while they collected supporter signatures.
