Newsroom
ODIHR sends limited mission to parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan
TASHKENT 6 December 1999
TASHKENT, 6 December 1999 - The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) Limited Election Assessment Mission issued a preliminary statement on the 1999 election of Deputies to the Oliy Majlis (Parlia-ment) of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The OSCE/ODIHR will publish in January a comprehensive report on these elections, including recommendations
Because of serious concerns that the broad electoral framework could not permit a truly pluralist and competitive election, the Limited Election Assessment Mission was restricted to an evaluation of all aspects of the electoral process leading up to election-day. The Limited Election Assessment Mission did not deploy observers on election-day.
Since the 1994 parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan, the legislative framework for the election has been improved. However, serious shortcomings remain, in particular in the law on the Elections for the Oliy Majlis, the law on the Central Election Commission, the law on political parties, and the laws regulating the functioning of the mass media.
The Khokims (governors and mayors), appointed directly or indirectly by the President of the Repub-lic, and Khokimats (executive apparatus) at regional, district and city levels were heavily involved in and exercised overwhelming influence on the electoral process, including a key role in the nomina-tion of candidates and the conduct of elections.
While the establishment of a permanent Central Election Commission was an important recent im-provement, the Commission failed in a number of areas, including by not addressing provisions of the election legislation requiring clarification. District and precinct election commissions were neither impartial nor independent. From their nomination, these commissions remained subject to interfer-ence by the Khokims and local legislatures.
The law on Election for the Oliy Majlis establishes discriminatory conditions for the nomination of candidates, in effect creating three classes of candidates with different requirements. They faced enormous difficulties to collect signatures if they did not enjoy the support of local authorities and encountered significant difficulties during the signature verification phase. Nonetheless, the new provision for 'independent' candidates proposed by citizens' initiative groups was a constructive ad-dition to the law and offered the few alternatives available to voters. In the end, 99 such candidates reached election-day, but the independence of many were in doubt.
After registration, candidates faced further impediments from Khokimats and election commissions during the campaign period. Some candidates were subjected to undue pressure by Khokimats to withdraw from the election because another candidate was favored. More significantly, opportunities for campaigning were extremely limited due to restrictions imposed by law, guaranteeing that cam-paign activities were strictly controlled by election commissions. Severe restrictions on the freedom of association and freedom of assembly in the country had a further and fundamentally chilling effect on the entire electoral process.
The absence of a diverse and independent mass media stunted the development of a genuine political debate and campaign during the elections. Although censorship is prohibited, in reality authorities exercised a strict control on the mass media akin to censorship. In addition, self-censorship was most prevalent.
In conclusion, the election of deputies to the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan fell short of the OSCE commitments enshrined in the 1990 Copenhagen Document for democratic elections. In particular, the commitments for a free, fair, equal, transparent and accountable election were breached.For further information, please contact Amb. Madeleine Wilkens, Head of Limited Assessment Mission to Uzbekistan, Tel: +998-71-152-6072 or Emanuele Giaufret, ODIHR Election Officer, Warsaw, Tel: +48-22-5200600, Fax: +48-22-628-6967.
Because of serious concerns that the broad electoral framework could not permit a truly pluralist and competitive election, the Limited Election Assessment Mission was restricted to an evaluation of all aspects of the electoral process leading up to election-day. The Limited Election Assessment Mission did not deploy observers on election-day.
Since the 1994 parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan, the legislative framework for the election has been improved. However, serious shortcomings remain, in particular in the law on the Elections for the Oliy Majlis, the law on the Central Election Commission, the law on political parties, and the laws regulating the functioning of the mass media.
The Khokims (governors and mayors), appointed directly or indirectly by the President of the Repub-lic, and Khokimats (executive apparatus) at regional, district and city levels were heavily involved in and exercised overwhelming influence on the electoral process, including a key role in the nomina-tion of candidates and the conduct of elections.
While the establishment of a permanent Central Election Commission was an important recent im-provement, the Commission failed in a number of areas, including by not addressing provisions of the election legislation requiring clarification. District and precinct election commissions were neither impartial nor independent. From their nomination, these commissions remained subject to interfer-ence by the Khokims and local legislatures.
The law on Election for the Oliy Majlis establishes discriminatory conditions for the nomination of candidates, in effect creating three classes of candidates with different requirements. They faced enormous difficulties to collect signatures if they did not enjoy the support of local authorities and encountered significant difficulties during the signature verification phase. Nonetheless, the new provision for 'independent' candidates proposed by citizens' initiative groups was a constructive ad-dition to the law and offered the few alternatives available to voters. In the end, 99 such candidates reached election-day, but the independence of many were in doubt.
After registration, candidates faced further impediments from Khokimats and election commissions during the campaign period. Some candidates were subjected to undue pressure by Khokimats to withdraw from the election because another candidate was favored. More significantly, opportunities for campaigning were extremely limited due to restrictions imposed by law, guaranteeing that cam-paign activities were strictly controlled by election commissions. Severe restrictions on the freedom of association and freedom of assembly in the country had a further and fundamentally chilling effect on the entire electoral process.
The absence of a diverse and independent mass media stunted the development of a genuine political debate and campaign during the elections. Although censorship is prohibited, in reality authorities exercised a strict control on the mass media akin to censorship. In addition, self-censorship was most prevalent.
In conclusion, the election of deputies to the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan fell short of the OSCE commitments enshrined in the 1990 Copenhagen Document for democratic elections. In particular, the commitments for a free, fair, equal, transparent and accountable election were breached.For further information, please contact Amb. Madeleine Wilkens, Head of Limited Assessment Mission to Uzbekistan, Tel: +998-71-152-6072 or Emanuele Giaufret, ODIHR Election Officer, Warsaw, Tel: +48-22-5200600, Fax: +48-22-628-6967.