March 24, 2015
elections OF THE PRESIDENT of the republic of uzbekistan.. 2
Presidential Elections: In the Name of a Bright Future. 2
2015 year – The Year of Care for the Senior Generation.. 6
elections OF THE PRESIDENT of the republic of uzbekistan
Presidential Elections: In the Name of a Bright Future
Summing up the above-listed progress, it is worth noting that over the years of independence Uzbekistan has built an electoral system in line with the highest democratic requirements through the consistent and onward modernization of political, governmental and legislative systems. The national electoral legislation reflects the present-day life of the Uzbek society, its traditions and gives all citizens, political parties and other civil society institutions ample opportunity to be a part of state and society governance. Independent foreign experts believe that the current electoral legislation of Uzbekistan excels the election laws of many developed countries in its democracy.
Candidates and their programs
Candidates for the presidency were nominated by the highest bodies of political parties at congresses or kurultai.
Then they gathered petitions in support of candidates. Candidates for the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan were registered at a meeting of the Central Election Commission on February 14, which was followed by their election campaigns presenting their election programs.
The People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan nominated the Chairman of the PDPU Central Council Hotamjon Ketmonov, the Vice-Speaker of the lower house of parliament, Head of the parliamentary faction of the People’s Democratic Party.
A strong social policy is the key pillar of his program. It envisages the support of the employable population through remunerative work, creation of fair and equal conditions for choosing a profession and education for the young people on the threshold of their adult live, and the formation of a flexible pension system that would guarantee a full satisfaction of vital needs of pensioners.
The nominee finds it necessary to constantly streamline the system of ensuring employment. To this end, he proposes to intensify employment at high-tech enterprises with a decent level of remuneration, promote entrepreneurial activities of graduates of vocational colleges by providing them with preferential micro-credits and exemption from state fees for business registration.
The further enhancement of targeted social protection of low-income families is an essential part of the program. In this context, the candidate proposes stimulating people’s initiatives, eliminating dependency, and distributing benefits and financial assistance mainly among low-income families.
The other priorities highlight the availability and quality of health services, and streamlining the mechanisms of state regulation of prices for utilities.
The Milly Tiklanish Democratic Party of Uzbekistan nominated Akmal Saidov, the Director of the National Centre for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In his election program he emphasizes the need for social approval of the national ideology, morality and spirituality. The program’s objective comes to attainment of a contemporary developed democracy through the national revival. It underscores the need for further improvement of the institution of local community, and strengthening its role in the augmentation of national and spiritual values.
The candidate sees the need in continuous and systematic study of the history of Uzbekistan, avoidance of unilateral dogmatic approaches in the evaluation of the past. He believes that it is important to educate the youth in the spirit of the idea of national revival, respect for the culture and spiritual values of the people, to protect them from the negative influence of alien ‘mass culture’.
The program aims at making Uzbekistan a center of world tourism, which requires the intensive development of under-utilized potential of the sector. It spotlights the need for a long-term strategy of development of information and communication sector in order to preserve the cultural identity of the nation in the context of globalization.
The other priorities come to the rational use of water resources of transborder rivers in Central Asia proceeding from the international law, the revival of the ancient cross-border route of human civilization – the Great Silk Road, and promotion of the eponymous brand.
President Islam Karimov was nominated by the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan. The key priority of his program is to enhance the competitiveness of the domestic economy through structural reforms, modernization of production, and introduction of ICT.
Another objective comes to elimination of all barriers and constraints to the development of private property and entrepreneurship. The candidate also offers a critical review of the level of state involvement in the economy and in other areas to liquidate the administrative-command system.
The program offers a drastically new concept of structural reforms in the agricultural sector and reinforcement of food security. It emphasizes the relevance of supporting the development of multi-farming as a prerequisite to the welfare of the rural population.
The candidate spotlights the issues of raising the quality of life, stressing the need of preventing the stratification of the society into the very rich and the very poor. The President points out to the achieved performance as the evidence of social stability. The foreign policy emphasizes the inadmissibility of annexation of Uzbekistan to military units, deployment of foreign military bases on the territory of the republic, as well as stay of Uzbek troops abroad.
Chairman of the Adolat Party’s Political Council, the Deputy Speaker of the lower house of parliament Narimon Umarov was nominated for the presidency by his party. ‘Human Interests above All’ is his program’s motto. The candidate stands for effective cooperation between the government and the society, for open dialogue between citizens and representatives of administrative structures at all levels, and active public involvement in decision-making. He also believes that the innovative economy based on new technologies is the matter of the country’s future. The state should shift the economy to the ‘green rails’, promote energy conservation and renewable energy.
The program states the impossibility of tackling socio-economic issues solely through the efforts of the government, which suggests the need to enhance the social partnership between employers and employees, and improve working conditions in the factories.
Development of civil society requires the support of self-government bodies, therefore, there is a need to transfer certain powers of local authorities to local communities in order to turn them into a true center of targeted social assistance. The Adolat Party’s Chairman believes that a local community is the major way to civil society.
At the highest level
The Central Election Commission has carried out a huge work on the preparation and conduct of elections at the highest organizational, legal and logistical level, and in full compliance with the democratic principles of transparency, openness and fairness, settled in the national electoral legislation.
The activities of election commissions at all levels and all events at each stage of the current electoral campaign are clearly defined by the law, as well as by the program of major events on preparation and holding of presidential elections, which was developed the CEC.
Given the missions on the preparation and holding of elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, settled by the electoral law, the program provides an accurate agenda of all the events, and lists the executives in charge of them. Such a model ensures a high democratic level of the campaign, provides the conditions needed for effective operation of district and precinct election commissions, and full implementation of the electoral rights of participants of the electoral process – the political parties, their nominees for the presidency, and the voters.
CEC established 14 constituencies for the presidential election, and district election commissions within the borders of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the regions and the Tashkent city. In turn, they organized 9,058 polling stations, 44 of which are located at the representative offices of Uzbekistan in foreign countries. The commissions at all levels are headed by authoritative representatives of the public pursuant to the recommendations of the local councils of people’s representatives.
The election campaign appears as a system-based process consisting of interrelated stages with a decisive role of campaigning. Under the law, the presidential candidates, political parties have equal rights to use the media during the election campaign.
To present the programs of action the presidential candidates were provided with 900 minutes of airtime on O’zbekiston and Yoshlar channels of the National Television and Radio Company, the equal printed area on ten pages in Xalq So‘zi, Narodnoye Slovo and Pravda Vostoka newspapers. In each region, the numbers make up 180 minutes and five pages respectively.
Presidential candidates have equal rights to hold meetings with voters. Each of them can have up to 15 agents, who assist in the election campaign, stump for a candidate and represent his interests in various organizations. Democratic elections in Uzbekistan imply that only the vote itself is secret. Other procedures are open, public and transparent. Election commissions inform citizens about the process of preparation and conduct of elections, introduce the voters to the list of participating political parties, tell about the candidates for President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and provide the results of voting and elections.
Observers from the political parties that have nominated presidential candidates, media workers, observers from other countries, international organizations and movements have a right to participate in all the preparations and conduct of elections, as well as be present at polling stations on election day and during vote counting.
Mass media has been assigned an important mission in ensuring the openness and transparency of the electoral process. In order to guarantee the all-round and objective coverage of the election campaign 2015 the CEC concluded bilateral agreements with the National TV and Radio Company of Uzbekistan, the National Information Agency of Uzbekistan and Jahon Information Agency. The documents also provide raising people’s awareness of the national legislation that regulates the electoral process. Nongovernmental mass media, primarily the NAEMM members and online outlets, have been increasingly active in covering the election process.
The National Press Center for the Coverage of Presidential Elections and similar press centers operate under district election commissions in all regions of the country. To date, the CEC accredited over 340 representatives of local and foreign media to cover the elections.
The organizers of the election, including members of district election commissions, representatives of civil society and reporters are invited to subject workshops. They get updates on the latest changes in the national electoral law, the mission of election commissions, and the course of ensuring openness and transparency of the electoral process with the participation of the media.
Response of the international community
The upcoming presidential election arouses a keen interest of the international community. Observer missions of various international organizations have already arrived (and continue arriving) to Uzbekistan at the invitation of the Central Election Commission.
For instance, the observer mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), headed by Ambassador Caetana de Zulueta, has been actively working in Uzbekistan. It has embarked on its work in our country on February 23. 11 international experts have unfolded their activities at the OSCE mission headquarters in Tashkent. Ten long-term observers arrived on February 28 to monitor the processes in Tashkent, Nukus, Bukhara, Samarkand and Fergana. Members of the mission will assess the national legislation and law-enforcement practice, observe the election campaign of presidential candidates, the operation of commissions and state authorities. They will also comprehensively monitor the mass media.
Uzbekistan is also hosting a long-term team observer mission from the Commonwealth of Independent States, headed by the First Deputy Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee Vladimir Garkun. The team will oversee the preparation and holding of presidential elections.
The mission’s headquarters in Tashkent coordinate the activities of the CIS observers and make all the arrangements for the observation. It will deal with the collection, processing and analysis of data on the electoral process, legal examination of the electoral legislation and monitoring of news programs, television broadcasts and print media, and hold meetings in the election headquarters of the candidates.
In the coming days Tashkent is expecting the arrival of international observers from three international organizations – the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Association of World Election Bodies and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Approximately 300 representatives of foreign countries from Asia, Europe, Africa and America have expressed the will to observe the presidential elections in Uzbekistan. There are many executives and members of national parliaments and electoral authorities, representatives of public organizations and the media, researchers and politicians.
It is appropriate to mention that the recommendations of international observers upon the completion of the parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan were taken into account during the current election campaign. Members of election commissions at all levels were provided with the follow-up instructions. The outreach covered the representatives of political parties and civil society institutions.
To sum it all up, the conformity of the election campaign with the national legislation, and the manifestation of active political position and life stance by the Uzbek citizens, including young people, would contribute to the full compliance of the upcoming presidential elections in Uzbekistan with the principles of democracy and, ultimately, enhancement of ongoing scaled and successive democratic reforms in Uzbekistan.
PARTICIPANTS SHARE OPINION
Contributing to the Processes
Mirzo-Ulugbek Abdusalomov, Chairman, Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan:
“The presidential election campaign in our country is taking place under new socio-political and socio-economic circumstances and amidst heightened inter-party competition and population’s more active political ands civil positions.
A crucial factor in these positive changes has been cardinal changes in the thinking of people, their convictions, stronger sense of responsibility, civil duty and personal responsibility for the future and fate of their country.
Elections to the Parliament and Regional, District and City Councils of People’s Representatives held in late 2014 have come as a remarkable testimony to this. The outcomes of the elections demonstrated our country’s and electorate’s adherence to democratic principles, people’s growing demands in the evaluation of the course of socio-political and socio-economic reforms.
It is important that the successful staging of parliamentary elections required that parties which participated in presidential elections not only ratchet up their activities, but also take their efforts and the pre-election programs of their presidential nominees to a higher political level.”
Objectivity as the Primary Principle Vladimir Garkun, First Deputy Chairman, CIS Executive Committee:
“We highly appreciate the changes made to the election laws in your country that contribute to further liberalization and democratization of election processes. This is, for instance, evidenced by the fact that the status of the Central Election Commission has been enshrined in the Constitution and guarantees of its independence have been enhanced.
The primary principle of our mission is objectivity. We will carry out our work in strict compliance with the national legislation of Uzbekistan and documents adopted within the framework of the Commonwealth and base it on international standards for observer missions.
In its statement on the results of its observation of the 2014 parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan, the CIS Observer Mission reached a conclusion that the phased improvement of the electoral legislation had created the necessary legal groundwork for open, free and democratic elections. They were held in full compliance with the current election laws and universal international democratic legal norms on a multiparty basis and were competitive, transparent and open…”
Massive Success in All Areas Caetana de Zulueta, Head of OSCE ODIHR Observer Mission:
“First of all, I would like to mention the tremendous progress your country has achieved in all areas since my last visit to Uzbekistan 20 years ago.
The experience of Uzbekistan in enshrining opportunities for foreign observers in legislation to participate in the parliamentary and presidential elections, and practical implementation of these legal provisions, is very important.
This institution is deemed as one of the key factors in ensuring transparency and openness of elections, and a tool for building public trust in the electoral process.
I must note Uzbekistan’s positive experience in the creation of the Central Election Commission as an independent election body, as well as the introduction of constitutional amendments that have set the status of the CEC as an independent body.”
NGOs: Boosting Voters’ Participation Abdumajid Karimov, Chairman, National Association of NGOs of Uzbekistan:
“In my view, a characteristic feature of the upcoming elections is the electorate’s heightened socio-political activity, primarily of women and the youth, and higher level of citizens’ political culture and legal awareness. And public organizations deserve credit for that.
The National Association of NGOs also works to contribute to fairer and truly democratic elections, transparency and openness of the election process. More specifically, the Association and resource centers set up at partner NGOs in each region provides assistance to the Central Election Commission in holding explanatory work among the youth, women, members of labor groups and citizens’ self-governing bodies and efforts to raise electoral culture, legal awareness with regard to election legislation.
I would like to note NGOs such as Ayol va Zamon (Women and Time) in Surkhandarya Region, Interbilim in Khorezm and Taraqqiyot (Development) in Bukhara that have run scores of events seeking to boost the population’s electoral culture.
It is noteworthy that representatives of NGOs are currently broadly represented in election commissions and that considerably contributes to endeavors to ensure objectivity, independence and openness of their activities.”
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
2015 year – The Year of Care for the Senior Generation
Treatment for All
The Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan has undertaken measures to improve the quality of healthcare for elderly people under the “Year of Attention and Care for the Senior Generation” State Program.
In early 2015, the Ministry of Health launched major serious medical examinations of elderly people in an effort to detect chronic diseases, including hidden ones. The efforts have been undertaken by doctors of rural medical posts and city family clinics in collaboration with colleagues from central district clinics, where special teams of 7-9 doctors each have been put together. Each team includes a neurologist, an otolaryngologist, an ophthalmologist and a cardiologist.
Special emphasis is being placed on elderly people living in remote and hard-to-reach rural areas. They are being serviced by leading specialists of national specialized medical centers and medical higher education institutions.
In the future, all citizens with chronic diseases will undergo regular medical check-ups 2 to 6 times a year depending on an individual’s health condition. In-depth medical examinations are being provided for 1941–1945 war and labor front veterans. Following check-ups, they are not only given recommendations by doctors, but also free permits to sanatoriums and resorts across Uzbekistan.
To ensure that patients with widespread diseases in regions enjoy high-quality healthcare aid, doctors of national healthcare establishments will be traveling to regional multidisciplinary centers, where they will provide care for people from low-income families and lead master classes for local doctors. Plans also include introduction in regions of 70 new high-tech methods of diagnosing and treating ailments characteristic of elderly people. The rest of patients will receive treatment in republican healthcare institutions.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
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