Election commission registers presidential candidates

Central Election Commission registered four candidates for the elections of the President of Uzbekistan, commission chairman Mirzo-Ulugbek Abdusalomov told journalists at a briefing in Tashkent on Monday.

The following candidates will participate in the elections to be held on 23 December 2007:

* from the People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan – Asliddin Ashurbayevich Rustamov, born in 1962, member of the People’s Democratic Party, vice speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis;
* from the Social Democratic Party Adolat – Diloram Gafurjanovna Tashmuhamedova, born in 1962, member of the Adolat party, vice speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis;
* from the initiative group of voters – Akmal Holmatovich Saidov, born in 1958, not a member of any party, chairman of the Legislative Chamber’s Committee for democratic institutes, NGOs and citizens’ self-management bodies;
* from the Movement of entrepreneurs and businessmen – Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan – Islam Abduganievich Karimov, born in 1938, not a member of any party, President of Uzbekistan.

Milliy Tiklanish democratic party and Fidokorlar national democratic party could not collect the required amount of voters’ signatures and will not participate in the elections.

In accordance with article 28 of the Law on elections of the President of Uzbekistan, the election campaign starts from the date of registration of the candidates. The later have the equal right to use the media for their campaigns in the order established by the Election Commission.

The commission approved the weekly schedules of the candidates’ appearances on the TV and radio channels O‘zbekiston and Yoshlar of the National TV and Radio Company, as well as publication of their biographies and election programs in the national newspapers Xalq So‘zi, Narodnoye Slovo and Pravda Vostoka.

To provide the candidates with equal conditions for delivery of their programs to the voters, they will be given equal amount of time to be aired on TV and radio.

Considering that each political party has its newspaper, the Election Commission grated the initiative group of voters the right to use the Jamiyat newspaper, founded by nongovernmental noncommercial organizations, for its election campaign.

To inform the electorate about the candidates and their programs, posters and brochures will be published in the Uzbek, Karakalpak and Russian languages, it was said.

All expenses related to the candidates’ campaigns will be covered by the state resources in accordance with the article 6 of the Law on elections of the President.