Russian military base in Tajikistan makes preparations for Russian legislative election

DUSHANBE, October 21, 2011, Asia-Plus – Russian military base in Tajikistan is making preparations for the Russian legislative elections.

Dmitry Matushkin, an assistant to the commander of the Russian military base in Tajikistan, says that in accordance with order of Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Yuri Popov, polling stations will be organized in the Dushanbe, Kulob and Qurghon Teppa garrisons.  

Legislative elections will be held in the Russian Federation on December 4, 2011.  At stake will be the 450 seats in the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia (the legislature).

There are reportedly some 7,000 Russian military personnel who are located in Dushanbe, Qurghon Teppa and Kulob.

We will recall that Tajik and Russian presidents dedicated the first permanent Russian military base in Tajikistan on October 17, 2004.  Presidents Emomali Rahmon and Vladimir Putin signed an agreement establishing permanent posts in Tajikistan for the troops of Russia's 201st Motorized Rifle Division on October 16, 2004.  The division was converted into the military base.  The division had been stationed in the country since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but the agreement formalized the legal status of the unit's presence.