Interview with the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Mirzo Ulug'bek ABDUSALOMOV, a distinguished lawyer of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
"Election Legislation Promotion Month" has started in Uzbekistan
The Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan, a distinguished lawyer in the Republic of Uzbekistan
Interview with Mirzo Ulug'bek ABDUSALOMOV.
The spirit of democracy
- Mirzo Ulug'bek Elchievich, the Central Election Commission made a decision to organize the "Election Legislation Promotion Month" in our country from October 20 to November 20 of this year. Journalists note that this document has started a new stage of preparation for the elections. First of all, let's talk about it.
- In essence, elections to deputies of representative bodies of state power are a political event held in one day. But usually it is prepared for months and even years. Because the elections are of great importance in the implementation of strategic development program objectives, which are determined for the near and far future.
Preparations for the elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and local councils of People's Deputies, which will be held on December 22 of this year, began two years ago at the initiative of the head of our state.
The Election Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, signed by our President and put into practice on June 25, 2019, was a great event in the history of our national election legislation.
The most important innovation in this year's elections is undoubtedly related to the fact that the elections will be held for the first time based on the Election Code.
The code includes more than thirty new norms and rules that serve to conduct democratic, open and transparent elections based on universally recognized international standards and principles, and many previously applicable restrictions have been removed.
Election legislation is developing in accordance with the long-term national election experience of our country, as well as generally recognized international election standards and the advanced experience of developed foreign countries. Our achievements in this regard are widely recognized not only by national experts, but also by international experts.
The reason why I started talking about the preparations for the elections is that the decision to hold the "Election Legislation Promotion Month" is a continuation of the consistent work carried out by the Central Election Commission to educate the election organizers and publicize such important changes in our national election legislation.
It should be noted that this decision of the Central Election Commission was developed and adopted in cooperation with relevant ministries and agencies, state and public organizations, and civil society institutions in our country. Now, together with many other partners, we started to ensure its implementation.
Lectures are a thing of the past
- It is not a secret that the low qualification of the members of some local election commissions is the cause of legitimate objections. What measures are being taken by the main electoral body of our country to solve such problems?
- Without rejecting these objections, I would like to emphasize one thing: the election legislation of our country is one of the most effective and consistently developing directions in the national legal system. Studying it is a continuous process.
One of the important tasks of the Central Election Commission - as stated in Article 14 of the Election Code, is to control the implementation of this law in the entire territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan, its uniform application, and methodical provision of the activity of election commissions.
Such a lofty goal can be achieved first of all through systematic education, training and improvement of their skills of election organizers, wide dissemination of election legislation among the population.
In connection with the adoption of the Election Code, the Central Election Commission adopted a program of main activities for preparing for the elections of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, regional, district and city councils of People's Deputies. Implementation of large-scale tasks defined in the program was started earlier than ever - from June.
Seminar-training aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of candidates for election commissions at all levels regarding the news of election law, preparing for elections and conducting them, began three months earlier than usual - on August 3.
Previously, such events started after the announcement of the election campaign - in the late fall, and the trainings often included leaders and members of election commissions of all levels of the entire district or region - 300-400 people - gathered in one majestic hall, and they spent two or three hours long and boring.
lectures would consist only of reading. The reason is that time is tight, and financial opportunities did not allow to widely involve qualified specialists and experts in the training process.
Our strategic goals have been clearly defined by the head of our state. That is, to build a democratic, humane state, to develop a free civil society, to increase the economic power of our country, and finally, to make our people happy with life, to create all the conditions for their more prosperous life.
Our independent country has boldly taken a step towards the next stage of its development. All conditions are being created for the current elections to be held in the spirit of this era, based on the principles.
That is why the Central Election Commission has invited scientists from the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the National University, the Tashkent State Law University, other leading higher education institutions, the Ministries of Justice, Information Technologies and Communications Development and other educational, scientific, practical and research institutions in the field, Seminar-training programs were developed in cooperation with experts and practitioners.
Traditional lecturing is abandoned, and the main attention is paid to improving practical skills. In the trainings, interactive methods became a priority, effective use of modern pedagogical, information and communication technologies, and the number of listeners in the auditorium was determined not to exceed 20 people.
The scope is wide, the effect is high
- Are such conditions created everywhere or only in big cities?
- Regardless of where the training seminars are held - in the capital city of Tashkent or in a remote district that is difficult to reach, the training sessions are conducted by qualified experts, scientists and experienced practitioners on election law and practice. At the end of the training, the participants of the seminar-training are given a special certificate of the Central Election Commission, which will undoubtedly be useful in the future activities of the election activists.
This multi-level approach to teaching, which expands and improves from top to bottom, is paying off. In the two completed stages, about 51,000 candidates for chairman, deputy chairman and secretary of election commissions were trained in three-day courses. The next round of seminar-trainings is going on these days. More than 30,000 members of election commissions were involved in the training. Members of election commissions at all levels are improving their knowledge and skills in two-day seminars and trainings. A total of about 180,000 people will be systematically trained until the election day.
Such large-scale training - seminars and trainings were organized for the first time in the history of national elections of our country.
It's the voters' turn
- So, now it's the voters' turn to improve their legal and political knowledge?
- Yes, with such a good intention, the "Election Legislation Promotion Month" was started. After all, an election is an important political event that serves to ensure the main form of citizens' participation in the management of society and state affairs, the exercise of their political rights, and the free expression of their will.
Holding this political event on the basis of the Constitution and laws of our country, universally recognized international democratic standards depends to a large extent on the political culture and activity of citizens, and a deep understanding of civic duty.
The purpose of elections can be achieved only if the voters are widely aware of the democratic reforms being carried out in the society and their effects, and if they realize how important their vote is for the life of the society and the state, the future of the country.
It is an urgent task to further improve the effectiveness of work on the latest innovations introduced into the election legislation with the newly adopted Election Code, the content and essence of the regulatory legal documents of the Central Election Commission regulating election issues, as well as the wide explanation of the rights and freedoms of voters.
In this regard, the Central Electoral Commission will increase their activity in the electoral process among broad sections of the population, in particular, women, young people, especially citizens who vote for the first time, intellectuals, persons with disabilities, military personnel, labor unions, representatives of non-governmental non-profit organizations, in order to further increase the effectiveness of propaganda and propaganda aimed at raising the level of political knowledge, from October 20 to November 20, 2019, it was decided to hold the "Election Legislation Propaganda Month" in our country.
Based on these, implementation of propaganda activities on election-related processes and public media
a plan of measures aimed at wide coverage through media was approved.
During the implementation of propaganda and propaganda work, raising the legal knowledge and electoral culture of voters during the elections to representative bodies of state power, conveying the content and essence of the Election Code to the population, providing a broad explanation of the guarantees of citizens' electoral rights and revealing the issues of ensuring legality in the election process, preparing for elections and special attention is paid to informing about the role of election commissions in the conduct of elections, and explaining the procedures for organizing and conducting voting.
This includes wide and effective use of all advanced propaganda technologies, including roundtable discussions, seminars, meetings, direct communications, conferences, trainings, educational classes, contests, quizzes, as well as mass media and social networks on the Internet.
All such events ultimately serve to increase the active participation of the population in the elections and the feeling of courage for the fate of our country.
A noble aspiration
- As far as we know, according to the decision of the Central Election Commission, the Ministry of Public Education is responsible for the monthly "I will vote in the future" among students of general education institutions. tasked with organizing contests of essays and pictures on the subject. Isn't it a little early to involve students in election issues?
- This is not surprising. In our country, increasing the legal knowledge of young people, including students, about elections is not without benefits. The reason is that in recent years, Uzbekistan, which has been taking bold steps towards establishing a strong democratic legal state, has adopted many new laws, decrees and decisions that incorporate universally recognized international principles. Studying and knowing them is one of the most important conditions for establishing a legal democratic society and achieving a prosperous life.
After all, it is difficult for a voter to vote consciously without having a clear idea of the election processes, political parties, division of state power, what laws are and how they are adopted, while filling out the ballot. I think that inculcating such advanced democratic ideas into the minds of boys and girls from a young age is very necessary for a nation that thinks about its future.
Therefore, among students, "I will also vote in the future!" holding contests of essays and pictures aimed at forming concepts about the importance of elections in the life of the state and society - an initiative worthy of full support.
There is an answer to every question
- In the course of the "Election Legislation Promotion Month", it is natural to feel the need to use legal documents, including the Election Code, regulatory legal documents of the Central Election Commission regulating election issues, and necessary literature. Where and how to find them?
- We hope that there will be no problem with the same issue in the era of expanding the use of information and communication technologies during the elections. First of all, on the official website of the Central Election Commission, elections.uz, you can easily find all the necessary legal documents related to elections, including the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Election Code, as well as legal and regulatory documents, comments, articles and expert opinions.
At the moment, the "Election - 2019" mobile application, specially developed for the quick use of election organizers and voters, is constantly being filled with the necessary information. A special Telegram messenger channel is working. In addition, by calling the national telephone number "1197", which is regularly working in the International Press Center of the Central Election Commission, you can get qualified answers from specialists and experts to all questions related to the election legislation of our country, preparation for and holding elections this year.
In the end, all this serves to further increase the well-being of our people, the future of our children, and the peace and prosperity of our Motherland.
More than ASHUROVA
("People's Word" newspaper, October 22, 2019)
