WARSAW, Poland (CHATNEWSTV) — The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has canceled its planned election observation mission in Tajikistan, citing the government’s failure to provide assurances that international observers would be accredited less than a month before the country’s parliamentary elections.
“We deeply regret that our observation of the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Tajikistan will no longer be possible,” OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Director Maria Telalian said Tuesday. “But the absence of formal guarantees that our observers will be able to carry out their work made our withdrawal unavoidable.”
ODIHR initially launched its observation mission on Jan. 22, deploying a team of election experts in Dushanbe. However, the mission has been unable to begin its work due to a lack of accreditation from Tajik authorities. Despite repeated efforts to obtain clarity on the issue and extensions of the deadline for a formal response, the necessary guarantees were not provided.
The election observation body deploys missions only at the invitation of host states, requiring governments to ensure unrestricted access for observers. “Prolonged uncertainty surrounding accreditation undermines the integrity of the process,” ODIHR said in a statement.
A pre-election assessment conducted months earlier identified concerns regarding the independence of Tajikistan’s election administration, judiciary, and law enforcement agencies, as well as restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. The assessment recommended a full-scale observation mission comprising 20 long-term observers and 150 short-term observers.
OSCE member states have consistently affirmed ODIHR’s observation methodology as comprehensive and impartial, committing to invite observers from participating states and to address ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations promptly.
Despite the cancellation, ODIHR said it remains committed to supporting democratic development in Tajikistan. “We will continue to assist Tajikistan in strengthening democracy and human rights, and we remain ready to observe future elections when conditions allow for systematic, accurate, and credible monitoring,” Telalian said.
