Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Nov. 4
By Demir Azizov - Trend:
Uzbekistan's Central Election Commission (CEC) adopted a resolution on creating 44 polling stations abroad for elections to the country's parliament, locally know as the Oliy Majlis, according to a message from the CEC.
The polling stations are being created at Uzbekistan's representative offices in foreign countries on the proposal of the country's Foreign Ministry. They will be attached to the 126th Temiryulchi electoral district of Tashkent.
"The polling stations are being set up taking into account the main criterion, i.e. the creation of maximum convenience for voters," the message said.
The elections of people's deputies to the Uzbek parliament's legislative chamber, as well as to the regional, district and city councils will be held in Uzbekistan on December 21.
Under the current legislation, the people's deputies will be elected on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret voting on territorial single-mandate constituencies on a multiparty basis.
Currently, there are 135 single-member constituencies in Uzbekistan.
Four political parties of Uzbekistan got permissions to take part in the elections.
They are the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen - Liberal-Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, the People's Democratic Party, the National Democratic Party Milly Tiklanish (National Revival) and the Social Democratic Party Adolat (Justice).
The parties started nominating their candidates Oct. 17, and their registration will end Nov. 16.
The election campaign will start on the date of registration of candidates, and will end Dec. 19.
Uzbekistan's bicameral parliament was created in 2005. Its legislative chamber permanently employs 150 MPs from four political parties and the Uzbek Ecological Movement. They were elected in Dec. 2009 for a five-year period.
The parliament's upper house, known as the Senate, employs 100 MPs elected in equal numbers, i.e. 6 MPs from the Karakalpakstan Republic, regions and the city of Tashkent.
Aside from that, 16 members of the Senate are appointed by the Uzbek president from among the most distinguished citizens.
Edited by SI