Presidential elections were held for the first time in Tajikistan on 24 November 1991. The result was a victory for Rahmon Nabiyev of the Communist Party of Tajikistan, who received 60% of the vote. Voter turnout was 86.5%.
After the elections, protesters gathered to peacefully protest the results. However, angry protesters eventually turned to violence, causing them to clash with the military in Khujand. This sparked the five-year long Tajikistani Civil War. Nabiyev was ambushed and held at gunpoint while going to Dushanbe Airport, where he was forced to resign.