ELECTORAL PROGRAM OF THE CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN NARIMAN MAJITOVICH UMAROV

Power is in justice

Within a short historical period, for a quarter of century of state independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan, systemic and wide-ranging reforms were carried out in the country aiming at building a democratic state, forming a just civil society, civil peace and national reconciliation, as well as improving the people’s welfare. Today, our young independent country has been developing steadily and consistently, deepening the processes of democratization and modernization in all spheres of society.

Despite the enormous challenges, threats and trials, challenges faced by our nation in the first years of independent development, we have achieved great success in all spheres of public life by building a completely new state and society ensuring people’s welfare. For the years of independence, the economy of Uzbekistan has grown almost six times. Backward agrarian republic with a оne-sided hypertrophied raw economy based only on growing cotton, having a destructive impact all the way, has turned into a modern industrial state with steadily rising economic indicators and improved living standards.

During the years of independent development, real per capita income in the country has increased more than 12 times; the wages, pensions and social benefits have significantly grown. Every year, nearly 60 percent of the state budget is allocated to the social sector – healthcare, education, and public services development, as well as to the social protection of the population. Such indicators, rare in the world, show that the individual citizen is at the center of the reforms. The main goal here is promotion and protection of the vital, legitimate interests of citizens. Above all, socio-political activity of our compatriots and their civil and legal consciousness has significantly grown for the past period.

Recognizing the reforms implemented in the years of independence, and their excellent results, we are in favor of further progressive development of our country, so that it became one of the most modern, highly developed and democratic countries. At the same time we need to set new goals and objectives, aimed at further improvement of the lives of our people. To achieve this, we must rise to a new, higher level. Based on the program objectives and tasks of our party, which declared itself opposition in the national parliament, we offer an alternative program for the voters. In our tough, rapidly changing time, in the age of economic globalization, we cannot stop on our achievements. Only a country that keeps pace with the swiftly transforming world can achieve success.

This program is built on the goals and objectives of Adolat Social Democratic Party and directed at the creation of a democratic state ruled by law with a just civil, highly moral and enlightened society with socially oriented market economy. We believe that "Justice is in the rule of law", "Justice is the key criterion of our life", "Justice must be guaranteed for each person" and rest on basic social democratic principles and values such as social justice, freedom, solidarity, and the creation of equal opportunities for all citizens.

We clearly declare that our major goal in the short term is to continue large-scale reforms in the socio-political, economic, social, cultural, humanitarian and other spheres of life in accordance with the fully justified Uzbek Model of development. In this context, we set the following priority tasks:

Our goal is building a constitutional democratic state and a strong civil society

Since ancient times, our people have striven for justice and truth, building a fair society. The country begins to flourish, and people become kinder and more humane only under the rule of law. Making progress and high achievements is only possible where justice exists. Thus, the systemic and widespread introduction of constitutional norms for constructing a democratic state ruled by law and a strong civil society, has been and will be our priority. At the same time, we are in favor of the idea of building a democratic state of law and a strong civil society, where social justice and solidarity dominate, without sharp stratification of people, and where the rights and freedoms of citizens are guaranteed.

Our goal is to provide decent public participation in government and governance. To do this, we will mobilize all our energy and will to the further enhancement of political reforms, consolidation and advancement of democratic values in the society and ensuring the rule of law, human rights and freedoms.

We are in favor of further reinforcement of the role of parliament, representative bodies at all levels as well as civil society institutions in the life of our nation. We support the principles of transparency, openness and accountability of public authorities and management bodies, and consequently. hold up to the further expansion of an open, direct communication between government bodies at all levels and the wider public. These measures in their turn will contribute to the efficiency of government bodies and the active participation of citizens in the discussion and decision-making processes considering the most pressing issues dealing with socio-economic development of the country and the elimination of all forms of bureaucratic obstacles and corruption.

In order to improve the efficiency and accountability of local government and management, we support the expansion of hokims’ powers in hiring and dismissing the heads of regional offices of ministries and agencies and consider strengthening their influence on human resources policies in the field. In this respect, it is important to carry out a deep stocktaking of the legal framework of activities of local bodies of government and management and to charge state administration in the regions with well-defined tasks, powers and functions. There is a need to specify the mechanisms of authority exercise, control and reporting in the legal documents as well as to ensure the coordination with the hokims when candidates are recommended for the posts of heads of regional offices of ministries and departments.

Ensuring social stability in Uzbekistan requires coordination and joint efforts of the central government, local government, business and civil society institutions to strengthen public control institution. Our primary focus is to conduct an expertise of legal acts on important economic, social and political issues, government social programs and regional development programs; the creation of more favorable conditions for the activities of NGOs and cementing the participation of the latter in addressing problems in healthcare, education and environmental protection, by means of involving a wider public.

It is impossible to imagine a democratic society without freedom of the press and freedom of expression. Building on the principle "Publicity is an important prerequisite for civil society", we pay special attention to the further democratization of the information sphere, issues of freedom of expression and information. To enhance the competitive environment, ensure transparency and openness of the reforms and internal and foreign policy, it is necessary to bolster the activity of mass media. When providing public and parliamentary control over the activities of public authorities and management bodies and consistently shoring up the relationship of government and the wider public, our highest priority is to enhance the role of the media. We will attach special significance to the growth of competition in the dissemination of information, and enlargement of the retail network of periodicals.

Justice is in the rule of law

Legislation and judicial-legal sphere has always had a special meaning for us. Ensuring the rule of law guarantees the securing of human rights and freedoms. It enhances the chances of building appropriate state and a humane, just and free society ensuring social protection of citizens and a decent standard of living for our people. We thus take a stand in favor of just laws adoption and delivery of justice in the rule of law.

We will seek to regulate the basic social and economic relations only through legislation, as well as to reduce bylaws. The law should be the main tool for managing the affairs of state and society. Achieving high quality and enduring nature of laws, creating a reliable mechanism for their implementation, the ideas of justice and truth in the lawmaking process should be a key criterion.

We believe all citizens are equal before the law regardless of gender, race, ethnic origin, language, social status, in the protection of social justice, constitutional rights, legitimate interests and freedom. It is a priority for all government and controlling bodies, particularly law enforcement agencies.

We believe that where there is not a strong, fair judiciary, the violation of the requirements of law and justice are unavoidable. In this regard, we propose measures aimed at providing for the independence of the judiciary to ensure impartiality, objectiveness and transparency of the decisions taken by the courts. We must seek improvement in judicial training and retraining systems to increase their authority, ensure security and, crucially to improve the mechanisms of protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens through the courts.

We also need to take steps to enhance the reconciliation institution that has been affording results in law enforcement. At the same time, we must use all opportunities to improve the legal awareness and law culture of citizens, especially officials.

The confidence of our society members in the country’s Constitution and legislation is the belief in the great future of Uzbekistan. Therefore, we support further strengthening and monitoring of the law execution in the activities of government and regulatory and law enforcement agencies. Here we will seek to prevent distortion, arbitrary interpretation and application of the legislation. Bureaucratic obstructionism, formalism and corruption in the activity of government bodies and management agencies must be rooted out. We are committed to introduce practice of regular reporting by law enforcement agencies on issues of legality and the rule of law to the wider public, protect human rights and freedoms in their activities. In this connection, we stand for the enhancement of the role of national human rights institutions such as the Ombudsman and the National Center for Human Rights.

We support all measures aimed at the formation and development of law culture in the society to radically improve the legal advocacy of education and knowledge outreaching key concepts of legal documents and explaining the goals, objectives and nature of the adopted laws to the general public. Since only free and informed citizens who respect their own rights and duties can fully take advantage of them. We plan to work out and implement a special program involving civil society institutions, NGOs, media and other interested organizations.

Stable economy is a guarantee of the national development

We support the economic policy implemented in the country, continuation of macroeconomic stability, high economic growth, provision for fiscal sustainability and that of the national currency, consolidation of the banking and insurance systems, a conservative approach in obtaining loans from abroad, maintenance of a low level of public debt.

The modern social state shows successful performance only on the basis of advanced, effective and socially oriented economy. We believe that market economy and entrepreneurial initiative can become the most critical catalysts of principal values of social democracy – freedom, justice and solidarity.

We support the idea of market management, putting everything in order, and we believe that it is necessary to introduce the principle "competition - to the extent possible, public administration - as needed."

We believe the future of Uzbekistan is in the innovation economy and innovative development, we recognize that the state plays an important coordinating role in the sustainable progress of innovation. The economy based on new technologies will contribute to the growth in the might of the country as well as increase of the welfare of the people and social stability. We propose to adopt a comprehensive program of measures to accelerate the development and widespread implementation of modern innovation and high technologies in our country. In particular, we offer the following:

— Improving the legal framework of innovation, including the adoption of normative acts in the sphere of scientific activity;

— Establishment of a single authorized body of innovation and innovative infrastructure;

— Creation of an Innovation Fund, which is formed by state budget funds, financial investments of enterprises and entrepreneurs, as well as charity and sponsorship;

— Implementation in the sectors of the economy of small, agile innovation projects with the participation of private business.

We do not support conducting fiscal policy by a sharp reduction in the budgetary sphere expenditures as the latter are an important factor of economic development, they ensure the solvency of the population, which, in turn, stimulates the production and ultimately provides for the wellbeing of the people.

We believe that there are untapped opportunities and challenges awaiting solution for active involvement of public funds, small businesses and enterprises in the financial market. Their solution will enable to boost the inflow of additional investment and financial resources in the economy development. It will serve as a continuation of the long-term strategy of relying on our own capacities and the maintenance of high rates of economic growth, so that in the future it will lead to a more active participation of small business and private entrepreneurship in the national and regional investment programs.

On the issue of implementation and development of the production localization program we, first of all, look from the perspective of the advancement of the national export-oriented economy, increasing the competitiveness of domestic goods on bоth global and regional markets, as well as the maintenance of balance between exports and imports.

In order to accelerate the development of remote regions and small towns, to avoid sharp economic and social disparities between the regions and the capital, we consider it necessary to move the central administrative bodies of large companies to small towns, and carry out extensive reconstruction of their social and productive infrastructure at the expense of the republican budget.

We also offer in the economic sphere:

— Widespread introduction of modern technologies aimed at saving electricity and heat. Stimulating competition in the energy market by making full and effective use of existing alternative energy sources;

— Development and adoption of legislative acts aimed at the development of alternative energy sources, including solar and wind power, the approval of the necessary standards and regulations in this area;

— Expansion of the production of solar cells and other core innovative technologies for renewable energy sources, designed for their wide introduction in the housing and utilities sector at an affordable price, based on the purchasing power of the population;

— Consolidation of government measures aimed at the effective promotion of the transition to "green economy" and related high technology, investment in the necessary infrastructure and the further development of environmentally friendly products through effective management and private investment;

— Profound study of investment proposals, the continuation of phased policy of privatization of enterprises and institutions, to ensure strict control over the implementation of the investors obligations on the production modernization, introduction of modern technology and advanced technology, to ensure the production of competitive products with high added value, and thus - protection of state property. Preserving the strategically important facilities in state ownership is based on their public benefit;

— Stimulation of the production of export-oriented products, the rational use of effective tools of economic policy, including the phased introduction of a progressive tax policy.

We stand for ecologically balanced development of the economy. We believe that an important task is to ensure a clean ecological environment by recycling industrial waste. In addressing environmental problems primarily the emphasis needs to be done on the economic aspects. However it is not recommended to shift the budget solution to all environmental issues and the related issues of protection of public health. We stand for the consistent implementation of the principle "polluter pays, and pays a lot." We also believe that it is necessary to strengthen the effectiveness of environmental impact assessment of economic projects, to ensure its transparency, enlarge the involvement of NGOs, along with the scientific community and the deputy corps.

Environmental issues are one of the priorities in our economic and social policies, so we propose to develop and implement a special program for the comprehensive development of this sphere. There, in particular, will be outlined clear mechanisms to ensure the protection of the environment by reducing emissions of the industrial enterprises, increase the number and species of woody plants, retaining dust and absorbing pollutants, the creation of green areas in the suburbs and surrounding areas to industrial enterprises.

Strong social protection of citizens is bedrock of fair society

We fight for political, legal and social equality of citizens, relying on the principle "Social equality is equal rights and equal obligations", for the creation of social state which guarantees the right to work taking into account the abilities and qualification of each citizen, delivery of extensive and equal conditions in order to receive the worthy salary and achievement of living standards depending on the amount and quality of the performed works.

We consider that the state must continue to guarantee the protection of economic and social rights of the citizen, stimulate his initiative, suppress abuses of employers, exercise supervision of the use of labor force which is not conformed to gender, age and abilities of individuals.

Based on the principles "Reforms are not for the sake of reforms, but for the people", we offer the implementation and further realization of state social programs which is an important condition of increasing the level of life of the population. At the same time we should not resolve socio-economic problems only at the expense of the state. It is necessary to develop actively partnership among governmental institutions and private business, first of all in spheres of health care, science and education, building of roads, housing and public utility sectors. It is necessary to pay special attention to the development of special program for strengthening of social partnership between workers and employers, to improvement of working conditions at the enterprises, further increasing social responsibility of business structures.

Issues of forming a favorable business environment and boosting small business and private entrepreneurship in the country we consider also from the point of view of creation of new jobs, first of all for women, youth, graduates of colleges, ensuring their social protection. We need to work further on improvement of quality of life of our people, creation of new workplaces to temporarily jobless people, giving them opportunities for retraining and advanced training. We seek to secure for youth the workplaces with merited remuneration of labor, increasing public control over accomplishment of government programs on job placement of graduates of colleges and young specialists, ensuring full employment of the population, decreasing unemployment to the minimum indicators.

We pay special attention to the further enhancement and consolidation of normative acts directed at the social protection of the population, to issues of comprehensive support for the enterprises and organizations who provide for social protection of workers and employees, promote their intellectual opportunities, helping to train and upgrade qualification in higher and other educational institutions along with strengthening their health. Wellbeing of a family, living conditions of citizens and ultimately the stability of our society directly or indirectly depend on the employment of people, level of their salary and social security.

We are supporters of strict observance of the rights of workers in the relations between the employer and the employee, increasing responsibility of employers for failing to register employment relationships, violation of requirements for remuneration of labor, social insurance, and provision of pensions.

We are supporters of providing all social groups of the population with timely high-quality medical care. Recognizing that in the years of independence the means allocated for healthcare system almost doubled, reforms in this sphere are realized, remarkable results are achieved, we consider it important to further improve the medical services for the population. Only a country with the healthy and harmoniously developed population can be strong and powerful.

We support further improvement of quality of medical care to a wide strata of population, strengthening of system of medical support of children in schools and preschool educational institutions, tough suppression of illegal circulation of medications, implementation of counterfeited and inferior medicaments, regular improvement of activities of the screening and perinatal centers, female medical consultations, maternity complexes, gynecologic and patronage services.

We support the implementation of medical procedures, demand for which is high among the population, in particular transplantology, extracorporal impregnation and other modern medical services. Moreover, special attention will be paid to establishment of a cooperation with the advanced foreign medical centers, expansion of practice of carrying out surgeries by foreign doctors in clinics of Uzbekistan, to advanced training of our specialists by a regular job invitation of foreign doctors.

We support increasing activity of women in political life of society, step-by-step continuation of large-scale reforms on strengthening of their social protection. One of our major tasks are also creation of ample opportunities to women for receipt of profound knowledge and mastering a profession, gaining of facilities in the labor market, providing legitimate rights and interests of women. We are for further increasing of their role in the life of society and political, public and social status, more active involvement of talented and highly skilled women in the spheres of policy and public administration.

We also consider it necessary to enhance mortgage loans for the purchase and construction of housing, optimization of interest rates, toughening of control and responsibility for machinations in the housing market, further improvement of activities of a housing and public utility complex, implementation of regular control on growth of cost of public utilities, strengthening of the competition between the alternative organizations rendering services in this sphere.

Modern, highly intellectual professionals guarantee sustainable development of society

We cannot forget that the 21st century is a century of globalization and the Internet when intellectual work has a highest importance, and scales and topicality of the competition in the world market continue to increase. The human capital is the main national property therefore its rise and all-round development. The essentially important national objectives in training a new generation of progressive, intellectually advanced professionals capable of modernizing the country, solving complex and large-scale challenges in the development of democratic society.

As our purpose is the building of the constitutional democratic state with the advanced industry, innovative economy, we will pay special attention to training of the highly qualified personnel, who graduated from higher educational institutions, possess modern knowledge and high intelligence. Such people will not ask and wait for the help from the state, and due to the knowledge, initiative, commitment and sharpness will create new workplaces, they will participate actively in the development of the country.

For the purpose of expansion of a scope of the higher education among population, and providing people with life-long education we set the following main objectives:

– to continue reforms in the sphere of public education, to achieve establishment of principles of social justice and equality in general secondary schools, optimization of number of pupils in classes, increase in quantity and quality of electronic educational programs and multimedia products, improvement of quality and level of a scope medical services in educational institutions. In this direction, we plan to develop and realize the program of complex development of general secondary schools;

– for providing the worthy place of our country among the developed countries by transition to innovative economy and achieve step-by-step increase in number people with the higher education, enhancement of system of allocation of state educational grants and a private sector;

– to strengthen innovative infrastructure of higher educational institutions, to stimulate creation of the small innovative enterprises, to develop pilot and experimental productions on their base, to increase innovative activity of teachers and workers, to strengthen relations of higher education institutions with science, industry and economy;

– to review a quota system of accepting in higher educational institutions, to increase quality of selection of talented youth by provision of the right of entering higher education institutions to everyone;

– to simplify system of notification of diplomas of our citizens graduated in foreign higher education institutions;

– proceeding from economic benefits of certain regions step by step to transfer higher educational institutions from the capital to the relevant regions;

– to develop modern methods of distance education in enhanced way;

– to enhance specialization in fields of activity by transformation of higher educational institutions into corporate higher educational institutions;

– to stimulate innovative activities of the scientific and production enterprises and associations, to raise competitiveness of scientific research and development;

– to enhance system of the state and non-state professional education, to organize short-term study for the purpose of timely adaptation of a labor to the requirements of the employer and the market.

Peaceful foreign policy built on national interests is our priority

We are supporters of peace-loving foreign policy. Our task is the enhancement of Uzbekistan’s integration into the world community, more active participation of our country in activities of the international organizations. We support mutually beneficial development of the bilateral and multilateral relations in the world community taking into account national interests and on the basis of Concept of foreign policy activities of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

We will also further increase the prestige of our state on the world scene,and we will not allow participation of Uzbekistan in various military blocks and the coalitions as well as we will not establish connections with movements and organizations with military intentions. At the same time we will consistently strengthen political, economic, humanitarian connections of Uzbekistan with the foreign states.

The Central Asian region is important for the national interests of the Republic of Uzbekistan, so the consolidation of friendship and cooperation with neighboring countries is a priority for the foreign policy of our country. We support an open, friendly and pragmatic policy of Uzbekistan towards its immediate neighbors, in favor of the solution of pressing political, economic and environmental problems based on mutual interests of the region by the way of constructive dialogue and international law. We support the efforts of the international Community directed to strengthening of a role of the UN in the world as important step on the way of creation of a new democratic world order. We will continue to promote the idea of creating a nuclear-free world, the creation in Central Asia of a zone free from nuclear weapons. Our priority is the development of mutually beneficial international cooperation in order to implement social and humanitarian projects within the framework of the UN sustainable development. In this regard, we consider it important to further expand partnerships with UN agencies, specializing in the field of social and humanitarian issues (UNESCO, ILO, WHO, WIPO and others), active participation in the implementation of joint projects in the social sphere.

Republican Press Center for Covering the
Elections of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

www.elections.uz