From a US State Department briefing a few days ago:

QUESTION: In Tajikistan there was a referendum over the weekend, extraordinarily high turnout figures and the — also, it was approved by a high rate that would seem to allow the president to remain in office for a couple more terms.

MR. REEKER: Yes. The United States is concerned by the apparent outcome of this constitutional referendum on the weekend in Tajikistan. Under that referendum, the President, Emomali Rahmonov, would, in theory, be allowed to run for president again in 2006 and serve two more seven-year terms until 2020.

We have repeatedly stated, and certainly our Embassy has been clear on this in Tajikistan, that a constitutional referendum in that country should meet international standards for transparency. And, unfortunately, this exercise that was held over the weekend did not meet those standards and we are urging the Tajik Government to test its leadership and its policies through regularly scheduled, free and fair elections. So that is a situation we will continue to watch, but this exercise, this referendum over the weekend, did cause us concern.