On December 23, the people of Uzbekistan will choose the Head of the State, thereby implementing one of the basic principles of democracy. The further course of the country depends and priorities of its development for short-term and long-term perspective will depend on who people will cast their votes for. Therefore, the upcoming elections place a big responsibility on everyone.
During the meeting it was noted that elections reflect the level of maturity of a civil society and the degree of its political and legal culture. During the years of independence the country has created its own reliable mechanism for open and transparent elections, which is today an evident result of democratic transformations. All the main principles of democratic elections are reflected in the national legislation - their general character, equal voting rights, direct and secret ballot, voluntary participation in elections, publicity of their carrying out.
The Chairman of the Central Election Commission told the participants of the meeting about the work done from the outset of the election campaign. In particular, he informed about the district electoral commissions set up in Tashkent, provinces and Karakalpakstan and about formation of local electoral commissions.
As of today, five political parties and one voters’ initiative group received admission to run for presidency. Besides, the Central Election Committee and the National TV and Radio Company of Uzbekistan signed an agreement on the media coverage of the preparations for and staging of the presidential elections. With a view to staging fair and unbiased presidential elections, all necessary conditions are being created. Participants noted the high level of the organizational work.
M. Abdusalomov emphasized that nongovernmental noncommercial organizations of the Republic play a huge role in the realization of the principle “From a strong state to a strong civil society”, activization of citizens’ participation in the state and public management.
The majority of the representatives of civil society institutes who have taken part in the meeting are active workers of nongovernmental noncommercial organizations - members of the National Association of NGOs of Uzbekistan founded two and a half years ago. One of its basic purposes is the strengthening of NGOs’ role in the solution of problems in societal democratization and modernization of the society, modernization and reforming of the country, strengthening of democratic values in the consciousness of people, increasing the level of their political, social and business activity, construction in the country of a civil society.
As First Vice-President of “Mahalla” Fund Nigmatulla Abdullaev commented for UT, today practically all NGOs have joined in the preparation for presidential elections.
“Mahalla” Fund is working in areas on the explanation of the electoral legislation and electoral system, and the procedure of elections. In this plan we have gained experience, aksakals and active workers of mahallas are taking an active part in elections. When we meet with people, we see the attitude of citizens to elections as to a major political event, which influences the reforms carried out in all spheres and thus the destiny of each voter”.
In the opinion of the chairman of the association of women’s NGOs “Mehr”, Zulfiya Tuhtahojayeva, the meeting testifies that the role of NGOs increases at state level and in the life of society of the country.
“Uzbekistan has one thousands of registered NGOs in which our citizens act, they are people who understand their roles and tasks in the construction of a civil society, and most importantly, they understand their responsibility for the present and the future of the country”, noted Zulfiya Tuhtahojayeva.
