{"id":19695,"date":"2023-03-27T04:27:02","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T04:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/?p=19695"},"modified":"2023-03-27T04:38:31","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T04:38:31","slug":"uzbekistans-referendum-2023-strategic-significance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/uzbekistans-referendum-2023-strategic-significance\/","title":{"rendered":"Uzbekistan\u2019s Referendum 2023: Strategic Significance"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Dr Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

It seems that Central Asian Region is under rigorous socio-economic, geopolitical and geostrategic \u201crealignment\u201d and \u201ctransformation\u201d. The president of Uzbekistan Mirziyoyev started a \u201cholistic\u201d and comprehensive process of further \u201cpoliticization\u201d and \u201cdemocratization\u201d in the country since 2016.<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
In this regard, hopefully, the successful referendum to be held on April 30, 2023 would
\nfurther incorporate spirits of fair-play, political diversity, administrative openness, transparency, electoral free &amp; fair orientations along with induction of good &amp; corporate governance in the decision making from top to bottom.<\/h5>\n
The western media as usual has been disseminating false, fake and fictional
\npropaganda about the proposed political change in the country since last year and
\nterming it \u201cOne Person\u201d specific just to provide constitutional cover for further political
\nsurvival which is absolutely \u201cuntrue\u201d and \u201cunreal\u201d.<\/h5>\n
Contrary to its tall claims of one person specific constructional amendments, according
\nto latest official news and statements more than \u201c65 percent or 2\/3 part\u201d of the current
\nconstitution is going to be rewritten, \u201credrafted\u201d and \u201creapproved\u201d through \u201clegitimate\u201d holding of referendum which is not \u201cultra-constructional\u201d act because its provisions
\npermit the incumbent government to exercise it through seeking massive political\/electoral activity\/verdict from its people.<\/h5>\n
The Republic of Uzbekistan has its own \u201cunique\u201d but integrated, interactive, coordinated <\/strong><\/em>and holistic democratic system in its country which is \u201cpeople\u2019s friendly\u201d. Therefore, the <\/strong><\/em>ongoing Western false propaganda campaigns are based on its \u201cresumption of guilt, <\/strong><\/em>\u201cpolitical prejudice\u201d and \u201csocial hatred\u201d. Every country has its own governing system and democratic norms which may be vary from the so-called western civilized and democratic countries. But still countries of the Central Asian Region are democratic in all respect and the Republic of Uzbekistan is not any exception.So they should stop undue and unjust political and \u201celectoral aggregation\u201d against Uzbekistan\u2019s referendum which will be held on April 30, 2023 with \u201cabsolute freedom\u201d of choice of the voters in the country. In this regard, there has not been a single incident of pre-referendum rigging or political engineering in the country.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n
In order the pursue desired constitutional changes through country-wide gross-root
\npoliticization and democratization most recent the Uzbek president Mirziyoyev presided
\nwith deputies from the Oliy Majlis\u2019 Legislative Chamber (lower chamber of parliament)
\nand Senate (upper chamber) as well as the leadership of the country\u2019s Supreme Court
\nand considered the results of public feedback on constitutional amendments.<\/h5>\n
According the president\u2019s office, more than 200,000 proposals were submitted and
\nconsidered. It has been comprehensive consultative exercise of several months which
\nvividly reflects the collective political wisdom, maturity, electoral diversity and last but not least administrative superior skills of its people, organizations, think tanks, forums
\nand media to further transform it state, society and system alike.<\/h5>\n
Interestingly, in this lengthy process, the parliament and the government, members of
\nthe public freely express their valuable proposals and opinions on the draft law.\u201d
\nSeparately, Uzbekistan\u2019s Constitutional Court will also weigh in and shared its
\nsuggestions.<\/h5>\n
In this regard, Uzbekistan\u2019s has approved the lower house\u2019s decision to hold a
\nreferendum on the country\u2019s new draft constitution on April 30. Earlier, the upper house
\napproved a bill on the country\u2019s new constitution that had been passed by the
\nLegislative Chamber (lower house) on March 10.<\/h5>\n
According to president office, the new proposed constitution will have 155 articles
\ninstead of the current 128. The number of constitutional norms will also be increased
\nfrom 275 to 434 which clearly reflects quantum social, political, economic and administrative refinement and qualitative &amp; quantitative readjustment in the constitution on part of the policy makers, members parliament and the public alike.<\/h5>\n
Under the proposed new constitution, the president, speakers of both houses of
\nparliament, chairperson of the Supreme Court, chairperson and deputy chair of the
\nSupreme Judicial Council, chairperson of the Central Election Commission, prosecutor
\ngeneral, and several other officials would be barred from holding office for more than
\ntwo consecutive terms which has political and administrative sense and maturity.<\/h5>\n
The constitutional reform was initiated by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in
\nDecember 2021. In May 2022, Uzbekistan\u2019s parliament set up a commission to draft
\namendments to the 1992 constitution.<\/h5>\n
The president also came out with an initiative to hold a nationwide referendum on the<\/strong><\/span>
\nconstitutional amendments. The nationwide discussion of the bill on constitutional<\/strong><\/span>
\namendments was initially slated to last until July 4, 2022, but was extended following<\/strong><\/span>
\nmass riots on July 1 and 2 in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic within<\/strong><\/span>
\nUzbekistan.<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Afterwards, President Mirziyoyev wisely decided against introducing amendments that
\nwould have stripped Karakalpakstan of its status as a sovereign republic within Uzbekistan and the right to leave Uzbekistan based on a secession referendum.<\/h5>\n
The amendments suggest declaring Uzbekistan a &quot;social state&quot; and decreasing the number of lawmakers in Uzbekistan&#39;s upper chamber of parliament, the Senate, from 100 to 65.<\/h5>\n
The proposed changes would also extend the presidential term to seven years from five which would provide ample time to implement all the structural reforms for the complete socio-economic and political transformation in the country. Moreover, it would sense of stability which would foster economic sustainability in the country in the longer run.<\/h5>\n
\u00a0Uzbek lawmakers have agreed to hold a referendum on a new constitution that would
\nallow President Shavkat Mirziyoev to run for a third term in office.<\/h5>\n
The amendments changing the constitution are expected to be approved in the
\nreferendum by a majority. The referendum, on April 30 will be the third referendum in
\nthe history of independent Uzbekistan.<\/h5>\n
To conclude, the lawmakers of both houses of the Uzbek parliament rightly termed the
\nproposed constitution changes as \u201chistoric\u201d and an important stage in the building of
\n\u201cUzbek statehood\u201d.<\/h5>\n
It seems that it will definitely change the old political doctrine from \u201cState-Society-
\nPerson\u201d to a new one of \u201cPerson-Society-State\u201d in true terms and will be beneficial for
\nachieving the desired goals of socio-economic prosperity and political stability in the
\ndays to come.<\/h5>\n
The proposed changes also plans to make Uzbekistan a \u201csocial state\u201d where \u201cthe<\/strong><\/span>
\nhuman being, his life, his freedom, his honour and his dignity are the supreme values<\/strong><\/span>
\nwhich are commendable. It would start a \u201cnew chapter\u201d in the political history of modern <\/strong>Uzbekistan leading towards \u201cNew Uzbekistan, New Priorities and New Social Realities\u201d.<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Most recently, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a
\nmeeting with deputies of the Legislative Chamber, members of the Senate of the Oliy
\nMajlis, and the leadership of the Supreme Court and finalized the details of proposed
\nchanges in the current constitution.<\/h5>\n
Interestingly, the deputies directly received more than 200000 proposals from the
\ncommon people. Interestingly, the international experience had been taken into
\naccount, leading specialists and experts from various sectors were involved.<\/h5>\n
Following several months of study, the final edition of the draft constitutional law on
\nintroducing amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan
\nwas prepared.<\/h5>\n
Since the draft law contains the most important changes in the socio-economic, political
\nspheres and public administration, deputies are consulting with the legislative initiative
\nsubjects defined in Article 83 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan before
\nintroducing it to the referendum.<\/h5>\n
In this process, the Parliament and Government, public representatives are expressing
\ntheir proposals and opinions on the draft law.<\/h5>\n
Uzbekistan\u2019s referendum to be held on April 30, 2023 would be start of new era of
\n\u201cSocial Cohesion\u201d, \u201cPolitical Manifestation\u201d, Ethnic Diversity\u201d, \u201cAdministrative
\nOverhauling\u201d with new structural reforms, governing systems, SOPs, people\u2019s friendly
\npolicies, programs and projects to achieve the ultimate goals of \u201cNew Uzbekistan\u201d,
\nsocially articulated, politically matured and economic vibrant.<\/h5>\n
The author is Executive Director: The Center for South Asia &amp; International Studies (CSAIS) Islamabad, Regional Expert: Uzbekistan &amp; CIS<\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan It seems that Central Asian Region is under rigorous socio-economic, geopolitical and geostrategic \u201crealignment\u201d and \u201ctransformation\u201d. The president of Uzbekistan Mirziyoyev started a \u201cholistic\u201d and comprehensive process of further \u201cpoliticization\u201d and \u201cdemocratization\u201d in the country since 2016. In this regard, hopefully, the successful referendum to be held on April 30, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[3378,125],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19695"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19695"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19695\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19698,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19695\/revisions\/19698"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}