Though propably too late for the original requester, here is how I do this:

my $tab_stops = self->getStylesRef()->createElement('<style:tab-stops>
+'.
         '<style:tab-stop style:position="0.9839in"/>'.
         '<style:tab-stop style:position="1.102in"/>'.
         '</style:tab-stops>');

$styleStore{$styleName} = $self->getStylesRef()->createStyle($styleNam
+e,
         #category  => 'named',
         #namespace => ...,
         #type      => ...,
         family    => "paragraph",
         #class     => ...,
         check     => 'true',
         parent    => $self->getStyleElement('Dashitem1'),
         #next      => ...,
         properties => {
             'fo:margin-left'         => "0.3154in",
             'fo:margin-right'        => "0in",
             'fo:margin-top'          => "0.0201in",
             'fo:margin-bottom'       => "0.0193in",
             'fo:text-indent'         => "0in",
             'style:auto-text-indent' => "false",
             });
my $props = $styleStore{$styleName}->selectChildElement('style:paragra
+ph-properties');
$props->appendChild($tab_stops);
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Thought it might be of interest to all googlers dealing with a similar issue.