June 22, Sunday. 6.00 a.m. No especial tokens in Khujand which would point to the important political event in the country. You gathered the impression that the town having sustained a lot of troubles beset with the preparations for the referendum decided to have a short rest early in the morning. One could notice that people had other concerns the referendum had nothing to do with… People were anxious about their daily family cares. But those who got up early moved in the direction of Kairakkoom market instead of electoral units. Only approaching the latters one could be conscious of a somewhat festive atmosphere, of course, if you can call the present referendum a festivity.
A sort of something to the issue of alterations and addenda to the Constitution of the country at one of electoral units disposed on the territory of the old fortress was imparted by the sounds of music executed by the brass band of military unit #3501 under RT MIA. Among the voters there are military servicemen, officers of the subdivision under the Ministry of justice stationed in Khujand and the headquarters of borderguard troops attached to the Committee on state frontier guard of Tajikistan Republic over Sughd viloyat.
Voting went in an organized fashion, that being just the habit with militaries. To 12.00 all of them being registered in this electoral unit voted almost completely. Quoting the chairman of the electoral commission, deputy commander over the personal staff, lieutenant-colonel - Mumin Qurbonov, a great explicatory work on the essence of referendum was conducted in the military unit, every soldier was made to understand what he would vote for. The main thing is that young men comprehended that this situation was no order, but an expression of their own will. The distinctive feature of this voting is full freedom to act as you consider it to be proper; that being one of the primary tokens of democratic society.
For soldiers the referendum turned into a real holiday. On such days they, as a rule, are paid special attentions. A holiday table was laid for them; plov being the main dish in compliance with local customs was cooked and served. “I shall remember this referendum for long,- says sergeant Sherzod Rasulov, platoon deputy commander. - I hope, the alterations and addenda to the Constitution will tell upon further stabilization of the situation in the country, its economy growth in order we lived better”.
The same organizational order was observed at the electoral unit where cadets and pedagogical staff of the 4-th faculty of MIA Academy were to vote. The dean of the faculty, militia colonel Shavkat Yulchieyev answered our question in regard to cadets’ attitude to the referendum: “Cadets are future jurists and, it stands to reason, they comprehend the significance of this arrangement for the republic. At the faculty there were conducted a number of meetings with jurists who explained the essence of alterations and addenda; I think, the personal staff of the faculty will support a further development of the republic on the way of democracy building.”
Quite a different picture was found at electoral unit # 22 in Kamoli Khujandi theatre. 8.30 in the morning. Rare visitors were coming to the unit. I wondered why there were few people. I was answered that the bulk of voters was expected in the afternoon when the market ends its work. It means that on this day, very important for the country, the care about winning their bread could not be put aside by people.
“I agree with all the items of alterations and addenda introduced into the Constitution. I am pleased that our president may be elected for the second term. I want him to remain and proceed with our common cause”, - says Abduvohid Saidboyev, the unemployed.
Here, at this electoral unit I was to vote myself according to domicile registration. When I handed in a notice to the members of the electoral commission nobody asked for passport. I was given a ballot and went to vote peacefully.
Electoral unit #44 in Shark street was decorated more festively. New splendid carpet strips, abundant vases with flowers - perhaps, high rank officials were to come as guests or someone of them was to vote just here. I was not mistaken. At 6.45 there came Sughd viloyat governor Qosym Qosymov. But there was no pomposity at all. Simply, modestly. He voted and retired. The only unpleasant feeling was the attitude of the guard, the governor could not be approached. But other voters didn’t refuse to share their impression with us. Regretfully, our correspondent didn’t manage to take an interview from the governor. But common citizens answered eagerly.
“I voted against,- says Zulfi Boboyeva, employee of women’s policlinic#1. - I haven’t understood the sense of many alterations. There are so many amendments, you can answer only “yes” or “no” implying all of them. Payed medicine and education have a right for existence, but what about poor people with meager salary?”
“I agree with alterations, but by chance I voted against”, - utters teacher Rahmon Abdulloyev being in distress.
“I am a man being far from politics, - builder Abdurahmon Saifiddinov shares with us, - from the very beginning I was against the referendum. I don’t deny the president’s deserts in establishments of peace and concord in the country, but there should be law order in the republic. We need an iron glove which would chastise law transgressors, thieves, tricksters, corruptioners. If we tolerate them further on to 2020 we shall down into an abyss. Now the legislative power deprives us actually of the right of choice”.
The referendum has been the occurred fact. Preliminary totals have been summed up about 93% of citizens took part in voting over Sughd viloyat. Over 93% of those who came to the electoral units voted in favour. However, in spite of the great preparatory work there were shortcomings of organizational slant; the main one being non-notifying of no small quantum of citizens. At least, there were facts when people couldn’t realize their civil right. These are omissions which hadn’t to have taken place. Let the votes of these people be non-influential upon the course of the referendum, but when people are entrusted with taking a fateful decision for the country such attitude should not occur. The majority of people with whom we having a talk told that the item with presidential terms ought not to have been confused with half hundred of amendments. This primary amendment must have been a singular one. Because today there is no other leader in the republic who could vie with the present head of the state. In the outcome we again have rebukes on the score of democracy absence in Tajikistan. These are the publications foreign mass media are permiated with for today. Though in the tempos of democratization Tajikistan is by no means the last one among the countries of the post-Soviet space.