A new and technological approach to Uzbekistan parliament elections begins

The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan held a meeting and a series of events on July 26th. The primary agenda item was the preparation and high-level accomplishment of the upcoming elections for the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and the Councils of People’s Parliamentarians in full compliance with the Constitution and laws.

According to Article 128 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, elections for the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and the Councils of People’s Parliamentarians are scheduled to take place on the first Sunday of the third ten-day period of October in the year their term expires. Considering that the term of the Parliamentarians of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and the Councils of People’s Parliamentarians ends in 2024, the elections will be held on October 27th of this year, and the election campaign will begin on July 26th, as decided by the Central Election Commission.

These elections mark a significant departure from the past, taking place in a new socio-political environment as stipulated by our Constitution. The meeting underscored the unique features of these elections, which include:
For the first time in Uzbekistan’s history, the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis elections will be conducted using a mixed electoral system, combining majoritarian and proportional systems. This significant change will see seventy-five Parliamentarians elected directly through the majoritarian system, where voters vote for specific candidates. The remaining seventy-five Parliamentarians will be elected based on votes cast for political parties under the proportional system.

One of the most significant advancements is the full digitization of election commissions’ activities at all levels and their interactions with participants in the election process. This development significantly reduces bureaucracy, time, and document handling in election procedures, ushering in a new era of efficiency in our electoral system.

Uzbekistan election legislation has been fundamentally improved to align with advanced democratic standards. These improvements include introducing a new system for election bodies led by the Central Election Commission and requiring political parties to ensure that at least 40% of their candidates for deputy positions are women. Additionally, a candidate must receive a relative majority of votes to be elected. If a candidate gets more votes than other candidates in their respective electoral district, they will be elected without needing a repeat vote.

The elections are taking place in conditions of significantly strengthened parliamentarianism and the powers of representative bodies at the local level, as established by the Updated Constitution. Specifically, the absolute powers of the Legislative Chamber have increased from 5 to 12, and those of the Senate from 12 to 18. The parliament’s oversight functions over the activities of executive, judicial, law enforcement agencies, and special services have been expanded. The institution of hokims (governers) leading local Councils of People’s Parliamentarians is being abolished. To enhance the role of representative bodies in resolving important state issues, 33 powers previously held by hokims have been transferred to local Councils.