DUSHANBE, March 1. /TASS/. The voter turnout at parliamentary elections in Tajikistan reached 23.4% by 9.00 a.m. local time (7.00 a.m. Moscow Time), a member of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda, Nosirdzhon Salimzoda, said.
"According to the Central Election Commission, as of 9 a.m. some 1,150,037 voters cast their ballots within the first three hours at all 3,412 polling stations, accounting for 23.4% of the total number of eligible voters," Salimzoda said.
The vote continues across the country and all conditions have been created to ensure free and transparent elections, the election official said.
On Sunday, Tajikistan holds elections to the lower house of parliament. The ballot stations opened across the country at 6.00 a.m. local time. A total of 63 MPs will be elected - 41 in single-mandate constituencies and 22 in general constituencies. The parties need to pass a five percent threshold to be elected to the parliament, while candidates in single-mandate constituencies must secure at least 50% of votes. Under the law, the elections are recognized as valid if more than half of voters cast their ballots.