A girl is silhouetted against the sun standing next to Uzbek flags in Tashkent November 5, 2005. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov/File Photo

TASHKENT (Reuters) - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a democracy and human rights watchdog, set up a its first full observation mission in Uzbekistan on Wednesday for the Dec. 4 presidential election.

The election follows the death in September of President Islam Karimov, who had run the Central Asian nation since 1989.

“This is the first time that OSCE/ODIHR (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) is deploying a full-scale observation mission,” mission head Peter Tejler told reporters in Tashkent.

“The mission will assess the early presidential election for compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards and obligations for democratic elections, as well as domestic legislation.”

The mission includes a core team of 15 experts based in the capital Tashkent and 20 long-term observers to be deployed in teams of two across the country, Tejler said. ODIHR will also request 250 short-term observers to monitor proceedings on election day.