Election Commission to send observers for Uzbekistan parliamentary poll on December 22

Uzbek envoy to India, Farhod Arziev

New Delhi: Election Commission of India (ECI) will be sending a team to observe the Uzbekistan parliamentary election scheduled to be held on December 22. India has been sending observers in elections in the neighbourhood and had recently sent observers for Sri Lankan presidential elections.

The doubly landlocked central Asian country has taken a number of reforms in the past few years, especially political reforms.

Speaking to WION, Uzbekistan envoy to India, Farhod Arziev said, "For the past three years unprecedented reform processes have been underway Uzbekistan. At the beginning of 2017, under the initiative of President of Uzbekistan, his excellency Shavkat Mirziyoyev new national Development Strategy of Uzbekistan was adopted. The strategy has been consistently put into action since then."

Arziev further explained, "No doubt that the upcoming parliamentary elections will play a significant role in further deepening the democratic reforms in our society, further increasing the role of the Parliament."

Five political parties will participate in the parliamentary elections and will compete to get seats in the 150-seat Legislative Assembly – the lower chamber of the Uzbek Parliament. The five political parties standing in the polls are, National Revival Party, People's Democratic Party, Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, ‘Adolat’ (Justice) Social Democratic Party and Ecological Party. 

As many as 20 million people will participate in the elections, including two million youth who will exercise their franchise for the first time. Nearly 10,000 ballot boxes will be used in 150 separate constituencies.

Uzbek citizens who are temporarily or permanently living abroad can cast their votes at the missions. A voting station at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in India for the citizens of Uzbekistan who are present in India will also be set up.