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Uzbek Lower House approves amendments to constitution

Politics Materials 28 February 2011 14:11 (UTC +04:00)
The Legislative Chamber of the Lower House of the Uzbek parliament has adopted in the first reading a draft law on amendments and additions to the relevant articles of the constitution, providing political parties to nominate and dismiss the prime minister, parliament reported
Uzbek Lower House approves amendments to constitution

Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Feb. 28 / Trend D.Azizov /

The Legislative Chamber of the Lower House of the Uzbek parliament has adopted in the first reading a draft law on amendments and additions to the relevant articles of the constitution, providing political parties to nominate and dismiss the prime minister, parliament reported.

Based on the amendments, a constitutional order with democratic principles will be established in Uzbekistan, when the nomination of the head of the Uzbek government is presented by the political parties that received the largest number of seats in the elections to the Lower House.
At present, the of PM candidature is nominated by the president for approval by parliament.

The MPs also approved a provision allowing the Lower House to express a no-confidence vote in the head of the government.

"The vote of non-confidence in the PM shall be deemed adopted if it receives a vote of at least two-thirds of the lower chamber and the upper house of the Uzbek parliament, respectively. In this case the president decides on the release of the PM from office. The entire composition of the Cabinet of Ministers resigns together with the PM," parliament reported.

In addition, the country is introducing norms for hearing and discussing the PM's reports on topical issues of socio-economic development by the Lower House and members of the Upper House, which significantly expands the powers of the bicameral parliament in exercising its supervisory functions.

Innovations in the Basic Law have been taken to enhance the role of factions of political parties and parliament as a whole in addressing critical national issues, making the executive power more accountable to the highest legislative body of the country.

The initiative for constitutional amendments belongs to the Uzbek president.

Earlier President Islam Karimov proposed several legislative initiatives directed at further developing and strengthening all of the powers of the government, increasing the role of political parties, improving the judicial and legal system and election legislation, developing civil society institutes and mass media, as well as deepening democratic market reforms and the liberalization of the economy.
Regarding reforms to the judicial and legal system, Karimov supported adopting a new edition of the Uzbek Administrative Code, which will "reflect trends toward the decriminalization of the criminal law and the transfer of certain offenses from the criminal to the administrative jurisdiction."

He proposed several amendments to the Constitution, which essentially boil down to introducing a new order for the nomination and approval of the PM, which meet democratic principles, and providing the Lower House with the right to impeach the PM.
The bill has been submitted for approval to the Upper House.

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