Preparations in our country for a major political event - the upcoming December 22, 2019 elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, regional, district and city councils are in progress.

This year’s elections will be held on the basis of the newly adopted Electoral Code, openly, in compliance with democratic and international principles, as well as in the spirit of healthy competition between the five political parties which are operating in our country. Currently, all political parties are actively preparing for future elections. At the same time, it is important to pay attention to some issues related to these processes and their systematic settlement.

The Republic of Uzbekistan has fully formed an effective mechanism for ensuring the electoral rights of all citizens. Citizens have equal opportunities to participate in governmental administration directly or through their freely elected representatives, secretly vote in elections and nominate candidates from political parties.

The electoral legislation of our country implements universally recognized basic international electoral standards and norms. For further liberalization of these acts, the norms and mechanisms developed and adopted in accordance with generally recognized provisions of international law are constantly being improved.

For the upcoming elections, political parties are seriously approaching the selection and nomination of candidates for deputies, which will contribute to the conduct of the electoral process on the basis of democratic principles.

The Electoral Code, consisting of 18 chapters and 103 articles, is an improved form of the national legislative act. Previously, the procedure for conducting elections was regulated by separate documents. Now, instead of 26 documents, in particular, the laws “On Elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, “On Elections to the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, “On the Central Election Commission”, systematic activities related to elections are regulated by a single Electoral Code.

In accordance with it, only political parties received the right to nominate candidates for the Legislative Chamber and local councils of people's deputies. This year, parliamentary elections and elections to local councils in our country will be organized on the basis of the recently adopted norms of the Electoral Code. First of all, this document provides additional practical mechanisms for protecting the electoral rights of citizens, systematization and unification of electoral legislation, a hierarchy of electoral law, as well as strengthening guarantees of the openness of the election process.

An information system for managing the election process and a single electronic voter list have been introduced into the national electoral system of Uzbekistan. Improved work on training and retraining of personnel in the electoral system. In the practice of preparing and conducting elections, for the first time organized the eight-stage “cascade” method which increases the knowledge and skills of candidates for election commissions at various levels . This time it is planned to create more than 16 thousand constituencies and polling stations. A group of 70 national trainers was formed in the territories748 district trainers. Coaches have already trained 51,000 chairmen of election commissions, their deputies and secretaries. 170 thousand members of election commissions will increase knowledge and skills at training seminars on the preparation and conduct of elections.

Development and adoption of new regulatory documents on the organization and conduct of elections - instructions, regulations and provisions are nearing completion. For their prompt use by members of the election commissions, a special mobile application “Elections-2019” was developed. The needs assessment mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights positively assessed the pre-election atmosphere, the preparatory process for the elections and measures to ensure the holding of free democratic elections in the country. She expressed her intention to send an observation mission to the parliamentary elections.

About thirty observers from the limited mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights participated in the previous parliamentary elections. It is expected that this year’s election will be observed by about 300 observers of the Bureau - 30 long-term and 250 short-term observers.

The electoral system of Uzbekistan has been updated not only from a legislative point of view. Today, voters are not the same as before - they have a completely new way of thinking, a modern worldview. They well understand the importance of their participation in this political process, have more information about the right to choose and the right to be elected. Briefly, voters are not indifferent to the elections. This will again be confirmed in the elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and the district councils of people's deputies, which will be held on December 22 this year.Elections are not only a test for the country. Elections are also an exam.As the president mentioned,during the election process our worldview, political culture, and civic position will be manifested once more. On December 22, we will once again show responsibility for the fate of the whole people and the future of the country.

This litigation process will be held under the slogan "New Uzbekistan.New swell".Today a new political environment is being formed in the country, the political consciousness and culture of our citizens are developing, they are not indifferent to the events which are taking place. Already there are speculations about how the elections will be held. No need for guessing, political parties will nominate their candidates based on openness and transparency.

By Nurbek Olloyor