On October 27 of this year, an important political event took place in the country - the elections of the deputies for the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and the local Councils (Kengashes). The elections to the representative bodies of state power, which were held in accordance with the updated electoral legislation, were observed with great interest by foreign countries, international organizations and election management bodies. A total of 851 international observers took part in the election observation.
Today, on October 28, representatives of a number of election management bodies that participated in the election observation met with the Chairperson of the Commission, Z. Nizamkhodjaev.
The meetings were attended by representatives of the delegation led by Christy McCormick, Member of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Datuk Nur Jazlan bin Tan Sri Mohamed, Deputy President of the Senate of the Parliament of Malaysia, and Delgernaran Purevee, Chairperson of the General Election Commission of Mongolia.
It was noted that for the first time in Uzbekistan, elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis were held under a mixed electoral system, i.e. majoritarian and proportional representation, and modern information and communication technologies were introduced into the electoral process. In particular, the advantages and possibilities of the “E-Saylov” information system and the electronic voting machines used for the first time in the elections were emphasized.
Furthermore, it was informed that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure that the events are carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Election Code and democratic principles, as well as about the work to improve the theoretical knowledge and practical experience of the members of the Election Commissions in the field of electoral legislation.
The representatives of the election management bodies, in turn, commented on the election process and their observations at the polling stations, emphasizing that the political event was conducted at a high level and in accordance with international standards and featured a number of innovations that are not found in the practice of many states.
In particular, Christy McCormick, a Member of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, who visited various regions of the country and familiarized herself with the procedures at the polling stations, noted that she was able to see for herself the professionalism of the members of the Election Commissions, the opportunities created for voters and the high level of organization, and that the electronic voting machines used in the elections is important not only for removing bureaucratic obstacles, but also for facilitating the work of the election management body, as it ensures that the election process runs smoothly.
Deputy President of the Senate of the Parliament of Malaysia, Datuk Nur Jazlan bin Tan Sri Mohamed: “I have familiarized myself with the process of voting at polling stations in the Samarkand and Bukhara regions. It is worth mentioning that all conditions and opportunities have been created for voters to express their will freely. In addition, it is encouraging that Uzbekistan is among the leading countries in the field of digitalization and electronization of electoral processes. I believe that the state of Malaysia is also interested in exchanging experiences and cooperating with the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan in this area”.
A member of the Great State Khural of Mongolia and the Mongolian-Uzbek Interparliamentary Cooperation Group - Uyangakhishig Gonchigdorj - also noted that the elections held on the basis of the new electoral legislation were conducted at a high level of organization and in accordance with generally accepted standards.