Article1. The Central Election Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The Central Election Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan (hereinafter referred to as the Central Election Committee) shall be established to organize and conduct the election of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, deputies to the Oliy Majlis as well as the referendum of the Republic of Uzbekistan and carry out its activity on a permanent basis.
The Central Election Committee shall be guided in its activity by the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the laws on the election and referendum of the Republic of Uzbekistan and other legislative acts.

Article2. First principle in the activity of the Central Election Committee

The main principles of the Central Election Committee are: legality, collegiality, publicity, independence and justice.
The Central Election Committee shall be summoned up by all its activity to support implementation of principles of democratic election system and provide opportunity to express the voters' free will.
  
Article3. Formation of the Central Election Committee

The Central Election Committee shall be formed by the Oliy Majlis numbering not less than fifteen members.
Members of the Central Election Committee shall be elected by the Legislative Chamber and the Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the recommendation of Zhokarghy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and regional and Tashkent city Kenghashes of people’s deputies.
The Chairman of the Central Election Committee shall be elected from among its members on the presentation of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan at the meeting of the committee.
The Deputy Chairman and the Secretary of the Central Election Committee shall be elected from among its members at the meeting of the committee.
Central Election Committee may be ceased on the decision of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Article 4. Membership in the Central Election Committee

A member of the Central Election Committee may not be a member of another electoral committee or a political party.
A member of the Central Election Committee registered as a candidate for the election of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as a candidate to the deputy to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as a candidate to the member of Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and as a proxy in prescribed by the law manner, shall be considered as withdrawn.
Authority of the member of the Central Election Committee may be ceased directly by the Oliy Majlis or on the presentation of the body recommended him in the following cases:
  submission of an application on resignation;
  recognized as an insane in a prescribed manner;
  legal enactment of the court verdict of "guilty" in relation to this member;
  systematic failure to perform his duties.

Authority of the member of the Central Election Committee may be ceased by the Council of Oliy Majlis between the ses¬sions of the Oliy Majlis with further approval of this decision by the Oliy Majlis.

A new member of the Central Election Committee shall be confirmed in prescribed by the present Law.

A member of the Central Election Committee on its decision may work in the Committee on a permanent basis.

Article 5.  Powers of the Central Election Committee

The Central Election Committee shall:
head the system of electoral committees and those to con¬duct referendum, that are formed for holding the election of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, deputies to the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and referendum, supervise the observance over implementation of laws on the election of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, deputies to the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and referendum of the Republic of Uzbekistan and provide their uniform application on the entire territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
announces the commence of election campaigns on the election of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, deputies to Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, to the regional, district and city Kengashes of people’s deputies.
carry out methodological provision of the electoral commit¬tees' activities, within their vested powers shall arrange publication of instructions and clarify matters related to the matters of the organization of the election;
delimitate electoral districts, give names and numbers to them, publish lists of   electoral districts containing their borders and amount of voters;
decide matters of referring of polling stations and referen¬dum areas formed at the representations of the Republic of Uzbekistan abroad to respective electoral districts;
form electoral district committees and publish information on their location;
specify the procedure for altering their composition;
cancel independently or on the presentation of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Uzbekistan decisions of the electoral district committees in case if these decisions contradict the laws on the election and referendum;
Provide observers of foreign countries and international organizations with necessary mandates for observing elections and referendum;
develop and approve expenditure estimates on preparation and holding of the election and referendum, distribute funds among electoral committees and those on holding referendum, establish the order of their use, supervise the allocation of premises, transport and means of communication among electoral committees and those on holding of referendum, decide other matters of material and technical supply of the election and referendum;
establish model of a credential for observers from political parties, representatives of mass media, observers from other countries, internation¬al organizations and movements;
pass a decision on admission of political parties to participate in the election on the basis of presented documents;
receive relevant documents from political parties nominating candidates to be elected as the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and to the deputies of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
register candidates to the President of the Re¬public of Uzbekistan and to the deputies of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, organize publication of registered candidates' lists and information about them in the press;
ensure equal conditions for candidates to participate in the election to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and to the deputies of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
establish models and forms of ballot papers used in the election of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and deputies to the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in referendum, registration forms of voters' and citi-zens' eligible to participate in referendum, forms of subscription lists, forms of minutes of electoral committees and committees on holding referendum and other documents, as well as models of ballot boxes and seals of electoral committees and committees on holding referendum and define the procedure for storing documents;
listen to the reports of election committees, committees on holding referendum, political parties, ministries, state committees, representatives of local state authority, and other bodies of public administration and representative of the other nongovernmental organizations on matters relat¬ed to the preparation for and holding of elections and referen¬dum;
sum up the results of the election and referendum, define the result of the election in the Republic of Uzbekistan and publish information in the press about the number of voters or citizens that have the right to participate in a referendum and participants in the poll, the number of votes cast for and against each candidate, the number of votes cast for and against the issue put to the referendum;
organize holding of another round of the voting, election of deputies to the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and members of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan as prescribed by the Law;
register elected deputies to the Legislative Chamber and members of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and publish the list of elected deputies;
convene the first, after the election, meeting of the Legislative Chamber and Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan as prescribed by the Law;
hand over the verifying document to the elected President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
hand over the verifying document and the budge to the deputies of Legislative Chamber and members of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
consider applications and complaints on the decisions and actions of the electoral committees and pass resolutions on them;
hand in materials on the violation of the laws on the election and referendum of the Republic of Uzbekistan, that entail criminal amenability, to the Procurator's office;
ensure submission of the documents related to holding and organization of the election to archives;
approve the Regulation of the Central Election Committee;
exercise other activities in accordance with the legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Article 6.  Powers of the Chairman of the Central Election Committee

  The Chairman of the Central Election Committee shall:
  guide the activity of the Central Election Committee;
  convene meetings of the Central Election Committee and chair at them, distribute responsibilities among its members;
  invite representatives of state bodies, political parties and other public associations, organizations and other officials to participate in meetings of the Central Election Committee;
  represent the Central Election Committee in its relations with state bodies,    international organizations and public associations;
  inform the Chambers of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan about the results of the election of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and deputies to the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan as well as the referendum of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
Opens the first session of the Legislative Chambers of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan as well as the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and chair it until Speaker of the Legislative Chamber and Chairman of the Senate are appointed.
exercise other responsibilities stipulated by the present Law and other legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In case of failure by the Chairman of the Central Election Committee to perform his duties, as well as in case of his absence, the functions of the Chairman shall be vested on the Deputy Chairman or by the decision of the Central Election Committee on one of its members.

Article 7.  Meetings of the Central Election Committee

Meetings of the Central Election Committee shall be the organizational form of its work, that are held in case of a neces¬sity. The meeting shall be considered to be competent if it is attended by at least two thirds of the total number of the com¬mittee members.
Resolutions of the Central Election Committee shall be ap¬proved by an open vote and if it gains a majority of votes of the total number of the committee members. In case of equal distri¬bution of votes, the vote of the Chairman of the Central Election Committee shall be deciding.

Article 8.  Minutes of the meeting of the Central Election Committee

At the meetings of the Central Election Committee the min¬utes shall be recorded and signed by the Chairman.
Members of the Central Election Committee shall have the right to express their personal opinion, and opinions shall be attached to the minutes in a written form.
  
Article 9.  Resolutions of the Central Election Committee

The Central Election Committee within its vested powers shall approve resolutions signed by the Chairman and subject to be published in the press.

Article 10. Binding force of the decisions of the Central Election Committee

The Resolutions approved by the Central Election Committee within its vested powers shall be binding for electoral district and polling station committees and committees on holding referendum, as well as for state bodies, political parties and other nongovernmental organizations, public associations, enterprises, institutions and organizations.

Article 11. Consideration of addresses by the Central Election Committee

The Central Election Committee shall have the right to turn with any matter, related to preparation for and holding of the election or referendum, to the heads of state bodies, nongovernmental organizations, public associations and enterprises, and other officials who are obliged to consider the matter and give a reply within 3 days.

Article 12. Appeal of decisions of the Central Election Committee

Decisions of the Central Election Committee may be appealed against at the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The complaint shall be considered within 3 days since it was lodged, and in case there are less than 6 days left before the election or referendum — immediately.

Article 13. The Secretariat of the Central Election Committee

The Secretariat shall be formed to provide the work of the Central Election Committee.
The Secretary of the Central Election Committee shall direct the work of the Secretariat.
The structural design, the staff of the Secretariat and the order of its work shall be approved by the Chairman of the Central Election Committee.

Article 14. Regulation of the Central Election Committee

The order of the activity of the Central Election Committee shall be defined by its Regulation.

Article 15.  Financing of the Central Election Committee

The financing of the Central Election Committee shall be performed from the state funds and be considered during the approval of state budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Article 16.  The seal of the Central Election Committee

The Central Election Committee has a seal with the imprint of the National Emblem of the Republic of Uzbekistan and its name. The Central Election Committee is a legal entity.

President of the
Republic of Uzbekistan                I. KARIMOV

City of Tashkent April 30. 1998