Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Dec. 8 / Trend D.Azizov /
Following an invitation from the Uzbek authorities, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) deployed an election assessment mission to Uzbekistan for the 2009 parliamentary elections Dec. 27, the OSCE reported.
The mission led by Jolanda Brunetti (Italy) includes 14 international experts and support staff from 13 OSCE participating states. The mission started its work in Uzbekistan Dec. 3 and will remain in the country until Dec. 31.
The mission will assess and report on the framework for conducting elections in Uzbekistan and the implementation of previous ODIHR recommendations.
The experts will also analyze the legal framework for the election, political campaigns, and the work of the election administration at central and district levels, as well as the complaints and appeals process.
As part of the assessment process, the experts will meet with relevant governmental authorities, candidates, political parties, the judiciary, civil society and the media in Tashkent, and other regions. The mission will also assess the media environment and media coverage of the elections, by conducting media monitoring.
ODIHR will not carry out a systematic or comprehensive observation of the voting, counting and tabulation on election day, but the team of experts plans to visit polling stations across the country to follow procedures.
ODIHR will issue a final report after the completion of the election process.
Under the Uzbek Central Election Commission's decision, four political parties, including People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (PDPU), Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (UzLiDEP), National Democratic Party Milliy Tiklanish and Social Democratic Party Adolat may participate in the parliamentary elections.
The commission has registered 517 candidates, including 123 candidates from Adolat, 125 from Milliy Tiklanish, 135 from UzLiDEP and 134 from PDPU.
About 150 deputies, including 135 in single-member territorial constituencies on a multiparty basis and 15 from Ekodvizheniya Uzbekistan in accordance with the granted Ekodvizheniyu quota of 15 seats will be elected to the lower house of the Uzbek parliament.
According to the commission, more than 250 observers from 36 countries and international organizations have confirmed their participation in the election as observers
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