Tazeen Akhtar / International Observer from Pakistan
Tashkent / Uzbekistan: 26 Oct 2024 – The citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan will use their right to vote in 7th consecutive elections for the Legislative Chamber called Oliy Majlis and Local Councils of regions, districts and Tashkent on 27 Oct in Saylov 2024.
150 deputies (members) of Oliy Majlis, half by majority vote in direct election in the constituencies and half through proportional vote to the contesting parties, who later will nominate their deputies according to number of their votes. Minimum age for the candidates is 25 years and should be resident of the state for last 5 years.
The number of seats in the local Councils is 5695 while minimum age for the candidates is 21 years and resident for last 5 years. The number of the members is determined with respect to the population of the local council. Age for the voters at both level is 18 years.
These are the first of their type elections with respect to a complete digital format, 100 % nominations of candidates by all contesting political parties, 40 % of who are women and it is also for the first time in history that 395 women candidates are contesting the election for the parliament of their country. The voters will elect deputies to the Legislative (lower) chamber of the Oliy Majlis (parliament), as well as regional, district and city kengashes (councils).
Another special to note in this election is the highest number of highly educated candidates. 90 % of the total candidates are doctors, engineers, lawyers and other professionals bringing the best of the knowledge and experiences into the parliament. Looking at this phenomenon, one can conclude that the motto “ My Choice- My Prosperous Homeland” for this election is going to be true.
Extensive Arrangements for Elections of Oliy Majlis and Local , District Councils in Uzbekistan
The Chairman of Central Election Commission (CEC), Mr. Zainiddin Nizam Khodjaev shared the details of the preparations with special focus on the steps taken to make this election as transparent, fair and free as is possible. A large number of foreign and local observers attended the presser and asked questions that were responded back by the chair accordingly.
The number of voters in this election is 19 million 944 thousand 859. The number of polling stations in the country is 11,028 equipped with digital technology and linked with the CEC. Single electronic voter list has been updated and shared on the website of the CEC and also shared to all 5 contesting political parties and regional CEC offices. The parties are ;
1. Liberal-democratic party of Uzbekistan (UzLiDeP);
2. Milliy tiklanish (National revival) democratic party;
3. Ecological party of Uzbekistan;
4. People’s democratic party of Uzbekistan;
5. Adolat (Justice) social-democratic party.
The Central election commission (CEC) of Uzbekistan on 21 August approved all five registered political parties. The ballot papers for the elections of deputies of the Legislative chamber will list the candidates’ names and symbols of the parties.
The polling will start at 8 AM and stopped at 8 PM. The digital system will help CEC to gather the most accurate results in the earliest possible time.
It is called E-Salove or Electronic Election because it is fully digital, every information is available online, sms service has also updated the citizens and candidates about every decision, detail and code of ethics in hundreds of specially authored texts. The Chairman of CEC shared that thanks to digital technology, we were able to respond to all appeals at the earliest to the satisfaction of the citizens and the candidates.
Uzbekistan is an inclusive society without any bias to any religion or ethnicity. According to the information shared by CEC in the presser, the candidates of other ethnicities are also contesting elections. They include Kazakhs, Tajiks, Kyrgyz, Russian and other.
To a question by this scribe about the minorities’ representation in the elections, CEC replied that elections are for all citizens without discrimination of religion or faith etc. Every citizen can cast vote equally and contest election as well.
Uzbekistan always makes sure the observation of the local and the foreign experts to keep check and balance of independent monitors for fairness in the election process. This election will be monitored by more than 65 thousand local and 1068 foreign observers.
The representatives of international organizations OIC, SCO, CIS, Turkic States are also in Tashkent to watch the election. They also include journalists, experts, lawyers, former officials of governments in their respective countries.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has established 780 polling stations in Tashkent only.
” My Choice – My Prosperous Homeland ” is the motto under which the election is being held. The CEC announced this motto considering the important role of elections in the life of the state and in order to widely involve the citizens in the activity that is going to play the Central role in the well being of the state and the citizens.
For more and more transparency in the polling process, the representatives of all contesting parties are provided equal opportunities to set up their desks in the polling stations.
{Tazeen Akhtar is Masters in Mass Communication from Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad. He is editor of newspapers in Islamabad for last 20 years. He is member standing committee of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors CPNE the only recognized org of editors by government in Pakistan. He has covered international conferences and events including previous parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.}
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