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Uzbekistan|politics|December 22, 2014 / 04:39 PM
Parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan competently administered but lacked genuine competition and debate, say OSCE/ODIHR observers

AKIPRESS.COM - 1b0011ed158696670d5ae8c89741707c The 21 December 2014 parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan were competently administered but lacked genuine electoral competition and debate, election observers sent by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement issued today.

“More comprehensive steps are needed to provide voters with real electoral choices,” said Ambassador Daan Everts, head of the ODIHR limited election observation mission.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) organized the process competently and election day proceeded in an orderly manner. However, voting on behalf of others (proxy voting) seemed to occur frequently, potentially affecting the reported turnout, the observers said.

Recent legislative improvements to the electoral framework took into account some previous OSCE/ODIHR recommendations, but other key recommendations pertaining to fundamental freedoms remain unaddressed.

“Ensuring an environment where freedoms of expression and association are protected and promoted is critical to fully meeting international commitments and standards for democratic elections,” Everts said.

The four contesting parties, all supportive of and supported by the government, are complementary rather than competitive, the statement said. It noted that the nomination of many new and younger candidates by all political parties was presented as a step towards strengthening the role of parliament.

Vague legal provisions prohibiting the dissemination of false information, including about candidates, are subject to arbitrary interpretation and prevented the media from facilitating a robust public debate on electoral issues. The CEC followed its legal obligation to allocate an equal amount of free airtime and space in state-owned media to political parties, but the observers noted a significant lack of editorial campaign coverage by all monitored media.

While the quality of the voter lists was not questioned by stakeholders, it remains unclear how many eligible voters living abroad were included, the statement said.

The elections were observed by a multitude of representatives from international organizations, political parties and the media, however the legal framework does not provide for observation by citizen organizations, which limits the transparency of the process.

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