MPs of Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan held a session on 18 February 2014 to consider several draft laws, the press service of the lower house of the parliament said.
MPs discussed a draft law “On openness of activities of the state bodies and administration” in the first reading.
The draft law is directed at implementing constitutional rights of citizens for information and it sets procedures of informing public on activities of the state bodies and administration. It envisages to ensure transparency and openness of the state bodies.
The document sets main tasks directed at providing access of legal entities and individuals to information, raising responsibility of state bodies and management and their officials at adopting decisions, as well as determining order of dissemination of information on activities of the state bodies and administration.
The draft law regulates main principles of opening of the state bodies and administration, process of providing information to information, protection interests and freedoms of citizens and legal entities, etc.
It was underlined that the draft law was tested in Samarkand and Bukhara regions in March-December 2013 as a legal experiment. The experiment was directed at testing norms of the draft law to improve it and assess possible consequences of its introduction. During the legal experiment, the complex of measures on implementation of the regulation of the draft law and its impact to transparency and openness of the state bodies, providing information to public were implemented. MPs, political parties, NGOs and mass media participated in the experiment.
The legal experiment showed that adoption of the law “On openness of activities of the state bodies and administration” will expand mechanism on implementation of constitutional rights of citizens for information on activities of the state bodies and raise responsibility of officials at decision making process. It was said that the document will strengthen legal bases for access to information by individuals and legal entities.
At the discussion process, all parties participated at the discussion of the law. They shared their proposals on further improving the draft law. After discussions, the MPs approved the concept of the draft law and passed it in the first reading. The corresponding committee was entrusted to prepare the draft to the second reading.
MPs also considered a draft law “On introduction of amendments to the Economic procedural Code of Uzbekistan”, which sets legal norms on further improving economic legal procedures, improving access to justice, save time and cut expenses of business entities, etc.
During the discussions, it was noted that Economic procedural Code envisages use of video conference at legal process. According to the law, the cases are considered at location of the courts. The new draft law allows to use video conference at courts when the business entities are located in other region. This will help to cut expenses of the businesses.
MPs underlined that introduction of video conference to work of the courts will create favourable conditions for businesses to protect their rights, ensure accessibility of justice, improve works of the Supreme Economic Court in organization and control of activities of all economic courts in the country.
Afterwards, Legislative Chamber considered next issue in the agenda. On 28 December 2013, the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Ecologic control” entered into force that was elaborated as part of the realization of initiatives outlined in the Concept of Intensification of Democratic Reforms and Formation of Civil Society in Uzbekistan.
In order to bring the current legislation into line with the law “On Ecologic control”, it is planned to introduce amendments and changes into some legislative acts. In particular, the draft law envisages the introduction of amendments and changes to such laws as “On Nature Protection”, “On the Protection and Use of the Flora” and “On the Protection and Use of the Fauna”.
The adoption of the draft law will harmonize legislation of Uzbekistan and eliminate inconsistence of norms and provisions. The document was passed in the first reading.
