Tajikistan's top election body declared Sunday's parliamentary election in the ex-Soviet republic valid, with more than 50% of eligible voters casting their votes.
The election commission said 51.4% of registered voters had come to the polls as of 12:00 p.m. local time (07:00 GMT), crossing the electoral threshold of 50% plus one vote.
Tajikistan is voting on Sunday in a parliamentary election, with the ruling People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan led by incumbent President Emomali Rakhmon expected to strengthen its power in the ex-Soviet republic's legislature.
The People's Democratic Party is the largest among the eight officially registered political parties in Tajikistan, numbering 85,000 members. The party currently holds 52 of the 63 seats in the parliament.
Rakhmon, who has ruled the impoverished Central Asian nation of 7.5 million for almost two decades with an iron fist, was re-elected leader of the People's Democratic Party in December 2009.
Rakhmon's eldest son, Rustam Emomali, believed to be his father's possible successor, is running for a deputy seat in the Dushanbe city council.
DUSHANBE, February 28 (RIA Novosti)
