The Guardian Weekly

Tajikistan OKs extending presidency

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8Voters in Tajikistan overwhelmi­ngly endorsed changes to the constituti­on allowing the president, Emomali Rahmon, to run for an unlimited number of terms.

The central election commission (CEC) said 94.5% of votes cast in last Sunday’s referendum had backed 40 constituti­onal changes.

Turnout in the former Soviet central Asian country was 92%, or just over 4 million people, the CEC said.

The 63-year-old autocrat has ruled Tajikistan for nearly a quarter of a century, demonstrat­ing what critics say is an increased disregard for religious freedoms, and political pluralism.

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