Preliminary vote results give Tajikistan’s pro-government party major lead; fraud cited

Pro-gov’t party leads vote results in Tajikistan

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan — Election officials say preliminary results show Tajikistan’s pro-government party winning more than 70 percent of the weekend parliamentary election.

The results would confirm President Emomali Rakhmon’s hold over the impoverished Central Asian country he has ruled since shortly after the 1991 Soviet collapse.

International monitors and the opposition have complained that Sunday’s elections were marred by fraud including ballot-box stuffing and proxy voting.

The Central Elections Commission said Monday that the preliminary tally of 100 percent of the votes cast showed the government-backed party with 71.7 percent, but it did not say how many parliamentary seats that would represent.