Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Mar.16
By Demir Azizov- Trend:
At a meeting of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis (lower house of parliament) of Uzbekistan on March 16, factions of People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan and the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan "Adolat" have announced that they are in opposition to the Bloc of Democratic Forces.
The main objectives of the Bloc of Democratic Forces, in particular, are the initiation and promotion of laws needed to modernize the country, protect the rights and freedoms of individuals, preservation of national traditions and values.
"People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan has its own point of view stated in its election program on the way to resolve important economic and social problems provided by the program of action of the government," said the chairman of the Central Council of the Party and the faction leader of People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan in parliament Hotamzhon Ketmonov.
It was also noted at the meeting that the faction, as a parliamentary opposition, would promote ideas intended to strengthen the state's regulatory role in the economy, what provides the economy's social orientation and realization of a strong social policy.
The faction will also promote the idea of the use of growing economic potential for continuous improvement of the living standards and the population's social protection.
Aside from that, the party's priority program includes the introduction of sound mechanisms of determining the minimum subsistence standards and compliance of minimum wages and pensions with these standards.
The priority program also includes the optimization of the cost of public services through improvement of the state regulation over tariffs.
The party also advocates the introduction of modern methods of organizing the employment and strengthening parliamentary control over the implementation of the program on creation of jobs in the country.
The People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan is ready to offer and defend its solutions on these issues. These solutions do not coincide with the program positions of the parties with factions which have united into the Block of Democratic Forces.
The faction intends to use the legally stipulated mechanisms of the interparty competition in the parliament, the rights and powers of the parliamentary opposition to achieve the program objectives of the party, the faction's statement said.
In their turn, the members of the faction of the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan Adolat said at the meeting that there are some differences in the positions of parties and the Bloc of Democratic Forces in the priority areas of socio-economic and socio-political development of the country.
Such important issues for the Social Democratic Party Adolat as tightening the social responsibility of business, active development of public-private partnership, strengthening state control over ensuring protection of the rights of intellectual property, offering tax benefits to enterprises with regard to their social and public benefits are not sufficiently reflected in the ideas and directions of joint activities of the parliamentary majority.
In this regard, during the meeting, it was decided to declare the faction of Adolat in the parliament's Legislative Chamber as the opposition.
As an opposition faction, by using the guarantees and rights provided in accordance with Uzbek law, the faction of Adolat party will protect the interests of its electorate - highly skilled professionals and workers, representatives of the scientific, engineering and technical intelligentsia, teachers and doctors - with parliamentary methods.
Earlier, the factions of the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen - Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (UzLiDeP) and the Democratic Party Milliy Tiklanish (National revival) declared the creation of the 'Bloc of Democratic Forces' in the parliament's lower house on Mar.14.
The main tasks of the 'Bloc of Democratic Forces' include the initiation and promotion of legislation necessary for the modernization of the country, ensuring the protection of human rights and freedoms, maintaining national traditions and values.
Uzbekistan's bicameral parliament was created in 2005. Its legislative chamber permanently employs 150 MPs.
As a result of the parliamentary election held on Dec.21, 2014 - Jan.4, 2015, the Liberal Democratic Party got the largest number of seats (52). Moreover, Democratic Party Milly Tiklanish got 36 seats, People's Democratic Party - 27 and the Social Democratic Party Adolat (Justice) - 20 seats. Additionally, 15 MPs from the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan were elected at the conference of this public organization by secret ballot.
Edited by CN