Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug 30

By Fakhri Vakilov-Trend:

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE/ODIHR) will send a full-fledged mission to the parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan for the first time, Trend reports citing the press service of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Uzbekistan.

The vote is scheduled for late 2019. Five political parties officially registered in the country will apply for a seat in parliament.

Currently, the Democratic Party "National Revival", the People's Democratic Party, the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, the Social Democratic Party "Justice" and the Ecological Party are functioning in Uzbekistan.

The CEC notes that, unlike the previous parliamentary elections, which involved a limited OSCE/ODIHR observer mission of about 30 observers, about 300 observers are expected to attend the upcoming elections. According to preliminary information, the mission will include a main group, as well as 30 long-term and 250 short-term observers.

The functions of long-term observers include monitoring various stages of the electoral process, including in the regions, and short-term observers will work in their designated area on Election Day.

Information that the elections of deputies of the parliament will be held on December 22 of this year was published with reference to Chairman of the Central Election Commission Mirzo-Ulugbek Abdusalomov. The commission specified that the elections are held not according to the proportional system, but according to the majority electoral system. Elections to the Legislative Chamber and local councils are held on the basis of a multi-party system in territorial single-member constituencies.

The Central Election Commission said that, in accordance with article 36 of the Electoral Code, the election campaign for the election of deputies of the Legislative Chamber and deputies of local councils is announced by CEC at least three months before the expiration of their term of office.

---

Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri