Eurasianet: TJ election mystery why is it happening

The report states that Tajikistan held parliamentary elections that independent observers and analysts described as largely pre-determined and lacking genuine competition, raising questions about the purpose of holding the vote at all. The report states that the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan, led by President Emomali Rahmon, dominated the process, with a small number of ostensibly allied parties presenting candidates while no effective opposition remained after the 2015 banning of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) and the designation of Group 24 as extremist. The report states that campaigning was effectively invisible in public space, with little media coverage, no substantive televised debates among parties and limited voter information, while state-aligned outlets predominated. The report states that the authorities restricted access for independent and foreign observers, and that the OSCE/ODIHR had previously found Tajik elections not to meet international standards for impartiality or a level playing field. The report states that analysts cited argue the election was staged primarily to provide formal legitimacy ahead of a possible power transfer from President Rahmon to his son Rustam Emomali, and to populate parliament with loyal figures available to approve constitutional or legal changes facilitating such a transition. The report states that the vote was held against a backdrop of intensified prosecution of opposition figures, journalists and civil society activists, further narrowing the space for dissent.