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OSCE to deploy first-ever election observation mission to Uzbekistan

Business Materials 14 December 2019 11:26 (UTC +04:00)
More than 50 observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly are deploying to Uzbekistan for the 22 December parliamentary elections
OSCE to deploy first-ever election observation mission to Uzbekistan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 14

By Fakhri Vakilov - Trend:

More than 50 observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly are going to Uzbekistan for observing the 22 December parliamentary elections, Trend reports citing OSCE’s press service.

It is the first time for the OSCE PA observing an election in Uzbekistan.

OSCE PA President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) will serve as Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission, following an appointment by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak. Tsereteli has led a number of observer missions in the past, including to Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Moldova, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

“As we are deploying for the first time a full-fledged observation mission to the country, this is also the first time that Uzbekistan's new reforms are really put to the test. We hope to see good-faith implementation in line with OSCE election-related commitments,” said Tsereteli.

Tsereteli has appointed OSCE PA Vice-President Kari Henriksen (MP, Norway) to lead the OSCE PA observer delegation.

“As observers, we will look at all aspects of the election system, as well as the media environment and political climate, and will offer a fair and balanced assessment,” said Henriksen. “Our election observation is a check on progress and part of a larger process in supporting democratic development across the OSCE area.”

For the 22 December parliamentary elections, the OSCE PA will work closely with observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. They will deliver the post-election statement of preliminary findings and conclusions at a press conference in Tashkent on 23 December.

The elections will be assessed for their compliance with commitments found in the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document.

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