- Title: Tajikistan votes in referendum to strengthen Rakhmon's grip on power
- Date: 22nd May 2016
- Summary: SIGN WITH NUMBER OF POLLING STATION PEOPLE ENTERING VOTING BOOTHS REFERENDUM COMMISSION WOMAN CASTING HER VOTE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MEMBER OF REFERENDUM COMMISSION, NEGBATSHO SHOSFEDOVA, SAYING: "People are already coming and casting their votes in a democratic way. We have ballots in two languages. In Tajik and in Russian, the language of international communication." BALLOTS POLLING STATION RAKHMON WALKING INTO POLLING STATION MEDIA RAKHMON SIGNING PAPERS REFERENDUM COMMISSION MEMBERS RAKHMON WALKING TO CAST HIS VOTE NUMBERS OF VOTING BOOTHS VARIOUS OF RAKHMON CASTING HIS VOTE BALLOTS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CASTING THEIR VOTES BALLOT BOX (SOUNDBITE) (Tajik) DUSHANBE RESIDENT, DZHAKHONGIR SOBIROV, SAYING: "Of course, today is a very important event for the people of Tajikistan. All amendments to the constitution are an imperative for our time. It is necessary for the development of the country and the legislation. I believe that the people of Tajikistan understand that and are actively taking part in the referendum." MAN CASTING HIS VOTE MAN SIGNING DOCUMENTS POLLING STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DUSHANBE RESIDENT, KHOLNAZAR KHALIKOV, SAYING: "Everything that is approved today is important for the people, for the state police, for the promotion of our work, for the thriving of the state. Everything mentioned today concerns me and the whole country. This is right and normal." SING WITH NUMBER OF POLLING STATION
- Embargoed: 6th June 2016 10:26
- Keywords: Tajikistan referendum Imomali Rakhmon president vote
- Location: DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN
- City: DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN
- Country: Tajikistan
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0054IW1SUF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: President Imomali Rakhmon seems set to strengthen his power via a referendum on Sunday (May 22) as Tajikistan, on the front line against militancy and crime from neighbouring Afghanistan, sinks deeper into an economic crisis and simmering discontent.
Many of the hundreds of thousands of Tajiks working in recession-hit Russia have been forced to return home, either because they lost their jobs or because their wages were no longer sufficient following the Russian rouble's devaluation.
There have been no major public protests in the authoritarian state, but political tensions are on the rise. In September, a general and former opposition fighter was killed in a gunfight with government forces after a failed attempt to seize power from Rakhmon.
Sunday's referendum seeks the public vote on 41 constitutional amendments drafted by a loyal government. In power since 1994, Rakhmon wants to scrap the limit on presidential terms to prevent his current term ending in 2020 from being his last one.
The proposals would also lower the minimum age for presidential candidates, allowing Rakhmon's elder son Rustam, who runs the state financial control agency, to run for office if he chooses to do so.
In addition, Rakhmon wants a constitutional ban on religious parties to shore up a court shutdown of the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) last year. Some of its leaders face life in jail on charges of plotting a coup. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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