Tajikistan: Boycotted Vote · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Alexander Sadikov reports on the decision of Tajikistan's three most powerful opposition parties to sit out the upcoming presidential election and the decision of four smaller ones to field candidates though it is obvious the current president will be reelected. The decision of these four parties to compete, he says, is likely a display of loyalty to the government because their decision provides a democratic facade for the election.