Your message refers to the parliamentary and local council elections that took place in December 2019 in our country, based on the new Electoral Code for the first time.

According to the election results, 831 members of provincial councils and 5739 members of district and city councils were elected. Is the election of local council representatives carried out in a systematic manner?

Indeed, Article 15 of the Uzbekistan Republic's Electoral Code, adopted on June 25, 2019, is entitled "Specifics of Elections to Local Councils." This article comprises six clauses (Articles 88-93). Hence, in accordance with our national election law, elections to local councils are conducted on a multi-party basis through district-based, single-mandate election districts for a term of five years. For the organization and conduct of elections to local councils, election commissions are established at the provincial, district, and city council levels, with members appointed from the respective local councils by the time of the election or within 11-21 days before the election, depending on the appropriate authorities.

A person who has reached the age of twenty-one and has a middle or higher education and has experience in electoral preparation and implementation under the rules may become a member of the provincial, district, or city election commission trusted by the people's deputies. Members of other election commissions, members of political parties, close relatives of candidates, and reliable representatives of candidates may not be members of the election commission.

Candidates for deputies must submit the following documents to the provincial, district, or city election commission responsible for conducting the elections:

- a letter signed by the relevant regional, district, or city party leader about the participation of the political party in the elections;

- a memorandum stating that the political party's election campaign was announced at least four months ago.

Based on the documents submitted by the election commission, the election commission takes a clear decision within five days to allow the party to participate in the election. The list of parties participating in the elections is published in the press in accordance with the order of the ballot's order.

A person who has reached the age of twenty-one and has been residing in the Republic of Uzbekistan for at least five years has the right to be elected as a member of the local council.

People who have been convicted of a serious or particularly serious crime that has not been completed or sentenced shall not be registered as voters until five years after the election day or during the period of residence in the Republic of Uzbekistan, members of the armed forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the National Guard, the State Security Service, the National Guard, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and other military personnel shall not be included in the list of religious organizations and unions.

Suyarjon Kurbankulov
Member of the Central Election Commission