On Friday, February 26, Bill Sweeney, IFES president and CEO, met with Mr. Abdujabbor Shirinov, Takijistan’s ambassador to the United States, to discuss IFES elections assistance projects and present the Ambassador with an official ballot box for out-of-country voting by citizens of Tajikistan residing in the mid-Atlantic region.

The ballot box, donated to the Embassy by Pakflatt, Limited, will be used by Tajikistanis casting their vote in the parliamentary elections taking place on February 28. IFES observers will be present during the February 28 vote at the Tajikistani embassy in Washington.

IFES has cooperated extensively with election stakeholders in Tajikistan ahead of these elections. IFES-Tajikistan launched an extensive voter education program that included print, radio and TV public service announcements and three Election Fairs across the country. The fairs brought representatives of all eight registered political parties in Tajikistan together with ordinary voters to present their platforms and conduct person-to-person campaigning.

IFES-Tajikistan has also offered training to political parties on campaign messaging as well as training to journalists to help them better cover the election. In addition, the Clifton F. White Applied Research Center at IFES released a survey on public opinion and political attitudes in Tajikistan earlier this month, a project that has both informed voters and political parties as well as guided IFES voter education efforts. The election on Sunday will be the third national parliamentary vote since the end of the Civil War (1992-1997) and the first direct election of Jamoats (municipal government).