Presidential election began in Tajikistan on Sunday as 3,375 polling stations opened all over the country at 06:00 local time.

According to Tajikistan's Central Election and Referendum Commission, the country has more than 4.9 million registered voters.

Some 20.7% of registered voters cast their ballot in the first three hours, Russia's news agency (TASS) reported.

A member of the Central Election and Referendum Commission Mahfirat Hidirzoda said that voting is under free and transparent conditions.

Five candidates are running in the polls incumbent President Emomali Rahmon (designated by the Federation of Independent Trade Union, the Union of the Youth and the People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan).

The election will be declared valid if more than 50% registered voters take part. Preliminary results will be announced on Oct. 12, final ones, within 10 days after the vote.