Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan Briefs Journalists and International Observers

On December 21 this year the Press Center of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan hosted the briefing for the representatives of local and foreign mass media and foreign observers.

The event came on the eve of national vote at the presidential elections due December 23 this year. It has served as of one of the several such briefings to be hosted by the CEC Press Center on the course of elections.

Here the Information Agency “Jahon” presents the address by the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan M.E. Abdusalomov, who has taken the floor at the briefing to have taken place in the city of Tashkent at the aforementioned date.

Dear ladies and gentlemen!

On December 23 the elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan will take place in the Republic of Uzbekistan. For over the years of independence the legal foundations of holding the free democratic elections have been established in the country. They fully meet the international election standards and promote the realization of free expression of will by citizens. Participating in the elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan the citizens realize their rights to directly take part in governing the affairs of state and society. The Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the laws “On guarantees of suffrage of citizens”, “On elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan” and other legislative acts guarantee the suffrage of citizens.

The Central Election Commission, district and precinct election commissions organize and hold the elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The activity of the Central Election Commission based on the principles of lawfulness, collegiate approach, openness, independence and fairness is aimed at assisting the realization of democratic principles of election system, providing for the opportunity for a free expression of will by voters.

In accordance with the Article 117 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the elections of President are held by citizens of the republic, who have a right to vote, based on universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret voting.

Any direct or indirect constraints to suffrage of citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan with regard to the origins, social and material status, racial and national background, sex, education, language, religion, kind and nature of occupation are forbidden.

After the announcement of start of election campaign on elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan the Central Election Commission has approved the calendar plan and Action program on preparing and holding the elections, guidelines and provisions on organizing the work of district and precinct election commissions, local and foreign observers, funding the activity of district and precinct election commissions, pre-election campaign of political parties, initiative groups of voters, and the candidates for President. The lists of 14 election districts with an indication of a number of voters and all information about the staff of district election commissions have been published in the press.

8266 polling stations, including 43 abroad were established. The precinct election commissions were created and their staff has been approved.

The Central Election Commission has approved the list of political parties and initiative groups of voters allowed to participate in the elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. These are the Social-Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Adolat”, National-Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Fidokorlar”, Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Milliy Tiklanish”, People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, the Movement of entrepreneurs and businesspeople – the Liberal-Democratic Party of Uzbekistan and the Initiative group of voters established on October 5, 2007 in the city of Tashkent.

All political parties and the initiative group of voters, allowed to participate in the elections, have collected the signatures of voters in support of candidates nominated by them for President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In line with the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, the subscription lists submitted by political parties and initiative group of voters must contain the signatures not less than five percent of total number of all voters of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which represent no less than eight administrative-territorial formations (the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the province, the city of Tashkent). This has accounted for about 815 thousand signatures of voters.

The National-Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Fidokorlar” and Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Milliy Tiklanish” were not able to collect the necessary number of voter signatures in support of candidates nominated by them for President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and in this regard they have applied to the Central Election Commission about the impossibility to further participate in the elections. The Central Election Commission adopted a relevant resolution.

The Central Election Commission has registered four candidates for President of the Republic of Uzbekistan: Asliddin Ashurbaevich Rustamov – from the People’s-Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, Diloram Gafurjanovna Tashmukhamedova – from the Social-Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Adolat”, Akmal Kholmatovich Saidov – from the initiative group of voters, Islam Abdughanievich Karimov – from the Movement of entrepreneurs and businesspeople – the Liberal-Democratic Party of Uzbekistan.

At the moment the period of pre-election campaign comes to an end. The voters are granted all opportunities to get acquainted with the election platforms, autobiographies of candidates through the mass media or direct participation at the pre-election meetings of candidates with voters.

The pre-election meetings of candidates for President of the Republic of Uzbekistan with voters have taken place at all election districts. Besides, the persons empowered to act upon the candidates for President of the Republic of Uzbekistan have also had an opportunity to hold meetings with voters of all election districts and campaign on behalf of them to elect them as President. Over 500 such meetings, which covered hundreds of thousands of voters, have taken place. The mass media has broadly covered the pre-election meetings of candidates for President. Thanks to using the capabilities of the National Television and Radio Company of Uzbekistan, the millions of country’s citizens, including those that live abroad, have had an opportunity to learn about the programs and ideas of candidates.
The Central Election Commission has prepared enough pre-election campaign materials while observing the principle of equal opportunities for candidates for President. These are the posters, brochures with biographies and pre-election programs of candidates for President of the Republic of Uzbekistan published in the Uzbek, Karakalpak and Russian languages. The posters and brochures are issued for each candidate in equal numbers with an aim to observe the principle of equal opportunities.

Besides, these materials were published in the newspapers “Khalq so’zi”, “Narodnoye slovo” and “Pravda Vostoka”, and in the party newspapers, respectively: “Adolat”, “Uzbekiston Ovozi”, “Golos Uzbekistana”, “XXI asr”, and in the newspaper “Jamiyat” – for the initiative group of voters.

The political parties have also used the opportunities available to their newspapers. With an aim to provide for the equal opportunities the initiative group of voters has been empowered to use the “Jamiyat” newspaper in terms of its pre-election campaign. The founders of the newspaper are the non-state non-profit organizations. Along with that other capabilities available to candidates have also been used (the websites and others).
Thus, the voters were fully provided with a right to learn about the programs of candidates for President and elect the deserving candidate.

The work to provide for equal conditions for voters to participate in the elections comes to an end. All polling stations are equipped in line with law. The district and precinct election commissions created all conditions to inform the citizens with voter lists. According to the State Committee for Statistics, 16297400 citizens were included to the voter list in the country.

At the same time, according to the Article 7 of the Law “On elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan” the Central Election Commission states that during 5 days prior to voting, as well as on the day of voting it is prohibited to publish (make public) the results of public opinion poll, forecasts of the elections results, other researches related to the elections, including their dissemination through the information and telecommunication networks of public use (including Internet).

In this regard, proceeding from the provisions of election legislation with an aim to ensure the conditions for a free expression of will by citizens during the voting, effectively prepare the election commissions for the voting, at its session the Central Election Commission has defined that any agitation or propaganda in press, television during various public events, as well as holding various pickets and manifestations are not allowed on the eve and on the day of elections, namely, on December 22 and December 23 this year.

The Central Election Commission has approved the text of a ballot paper and prepared enough voters lists to provide for the right of voters for early voting. The ballot papers and voters lists are prepared in the Uzbek, Karakalpak and Russian languages. At the moment, all district election commissions have been provided with the ballot papers which were distributed to polling stations.

The Central Election Commission attaches a big importance to enhancing the legal awareness level of the organizers of elections. With such an aim, the Central Election Commission has organized the nationwide seminar-training with the participation of chairpersons and secretaries of district election commissions on elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The nationwide scientific-practical seminar for the personnel of press services of the district election commissions has also taken place.

After the precinct election commissions were established the district election commissions have held a number of seminar-trainings to raise the awareness level of organizers of elections, explain the election legislation norms.

At all election districts on elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan the regional practical seminars took place for the members of precinct election commissions with the participation of the Central Election Commission staff members and relevant district election commissions.

The main goal of holding the seminars – to raise the level of legal awareness of organizers of elections, in particular, the members of district and precinct election commissions, correct use of their powers envisaged by the election legislation.

All seminars were held openly with participation of mass media representatives. Several concrete questions were asked to which the detailed answers were given. In total during the pre-election campaign about 200 seminar-trainings were organized and held with participation of members of election commissions and staff members of the Central Election Commission Press Center and the press services of district election commissions.

The Central Election Commission notes that up to date all election commissions or about 100 thousand organizers of elections are ready to hold voting on the elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. All organizational issues have been resolved.

The Central Election Commission pays a special attention to raising the legal awareness of voters and explaining the procedures of election legislation. For these purposes the series of brochures on organizing and holding the elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, guarantees of suffrage of citizens, the procedure of voting and filling in the ballots, participation of political parties, mass media in elections and other issues of election law was published with participation of experts and scientists of the Institute for monitoring the current legislation, the Tashkent State Institute of Law. Besides, the Central Election Commission has prepared several television footages and radio broadcasts on the stages of election campaign (nomination of candidates, the pre-election campaign and others) and norms of election legislation (procedure of familiarization with the voters list, early voting, filling in the ballot paper and others), as well as the television footage about procedure of activity of a precinct election commission on the day of elections.

Ladies and gentlemen!

One of the main principles of activity of election commissions at all levels is openness, publicity. All meetings of the Central Election Commission, district election commissions are held openly with participation of mass media representatives. With an aim to provide for the openness and publicity of the election campaign the website (www.elections.uz), electronic mail, the Press Center of the Central Election Commission and the press services of district election commissions have been established and are now successfully operating.

The Press Center hosts news conferences, briefings, meetings, seminar- trainings with participation of representatives of foreign and local mass media. In all, during the election campaign about 50 such events on elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan have been held.

Besides, the publicity is provided for by using the opportunities of an institute of observers. According to the Article 5 of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan” a one observer from political parties, initiative groups of voters that have nominated candidates for President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, representatives of press, television and radio, observers from other states, international organizations and movements shall have a right to take part at all events related with preparing and holding the elections, as well as in premises for voting on the day of elections and in counting of votes at each polling station.

Up to date, the representatives of 5 international organizations and movements (CIS (78), OSCE (26), SCO (3), EurAsEC (2), OIC (6) and more than 30 countries of the world (in total 264)) were accredited at the Central Election Commission and have started to observe the elections.

Besides, the district election commissions have issued the mandates to more than 23000 local observers. These are the representatives of three political parties and one initiative group of voters. The election commissions created all conditions for their fruitful activity.
On the day of elections – December 23 the Central Election Commission will inform the public about the course of elections.

At the Central Election Commission Press Center, which is located at 16 Navoi Street, city of Tashkent on December 23 at 13.00, 17.00 and 22.30 there will take place the briefings dedicated to the course of elections.

On December 24 at 18.00 there will take place a briefing dedicated to the preliminary outcomes of the elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The monitoring of pre-election activities of the candidates has been carried out. According to it, there has not been any violation of the election legislation.

The monitoring of the preparation for voting has demonstrated that all planned activities are held in full correspondence with current legislation. The Central Election Commission, district and precinct election commissions take all measures to provide for the lawfulness, publicity and fairness of the elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as create all necessary conditions for voters to participate in the elections and freely express their will.

Thank you. I wish you all success in your endeavors.