ODIHR mission positively assesses the process of preparation for the elections

On October 8, the Election Observation Mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) to observe the presidential elections in Uzbekistan released an interim report for the period from September 15 to October 5. The document was published on the OSCE website.

In the report, it is noted that the electoral legal framework is undergoing a process of reform.

The OSCE/ODIHR drew attention to the following positive changes:

recent amendments address some prior ODIHR recommendations. The previous authorization for campaign events 30 days in advance was removed in favor of a 3-day notification requirement.

prohibition of campaigning by public servants and interim campaign finance reporting were introduced.

campaign finance reporting obligations include an interim report to the CEC due 5 days prior to election day, and a final report to be submitted within 20 days after the announcement of the election results.
fifth, the electoral rights of citizens have been expanded. Now citizens of Uzbekistan who are abroad can participate in voting without prior registration at the consulate.
in 2020, the regulation on the freedom of movement within the country and abroad was liberalized, leading to the abolition of exit visas and facilitating the choice of the place of residence, which as a result impacted voter registration. In 2021, constitutional amendments rescheduled the presidential election.

UzA