Tajik election lacked real competition - OSCE

DUSHANBE, Nov 7 (Reuters) Tajikistan's presidential election lacked genuine competition and was marred by serious irregularities including multiple voting, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said today.

Tajik election authorities declared that incumbent President Imomali Rakhmonov, who has ruled this impoverished Central Asian state since 1992, had won 79.3 per cent of the vote. The opposition boycotted the poll to protest against rights abuses.

''The lack of any serious campaign and credible alternatives undermined this election'', Kimmo Kiljunen, the coordinator of a 170-strong OSCE observer mission to Tajikistan, said in a statement.

''Observers noted serious shortcomings during polling including widespread family voting, proxy voting, multiple voting and identical signatures on voter lists,'' the statement added.

De facto head of state since 1992, Rakhmonov's previous election victory came in November 1999 with an official tally of 96 per cent of the votes. His main rival was only registered as a candidate hours before the poll.

A former Soviet collective farm boss, Rakhmanov has overseen constitutional changes that could allow him to stay in office until 2020.

REUTERS PB PM1530