Uzbekistan enhances procedure for holding referendums and elections 

It was noted that in order to bring the ongoing large-scale reforms to a new level, the Uzbekistan 2030 Strategy was adopted, within which goals were defined in important and relevant areas. One of them is to further increase the role of the Oliy Majlis chambers and political parties in building the New Uzbekistan.

During the discussion, special attention was paid to the issue of introducing a mixed (majoritarian and proportional) system of elections to representative bodies of power, aimed at deepening democratic reforms and strengthening the role of political parties in the modernization of the country.

It was also emphasized that the new Constitution provides for changes related to referendums and elections, therefore there is a need to bring the current legislation on elections and referendums into compliance with the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the new edition.

According to the reviewed Constitutional Law, elections of the Legislative Chamber are held on the basis of a mixed electoral system. According to the law, single-mandate and single electoral districts are provided, 75 deputies of the Legislative Chamber are elected from single-mandate districts using a majoritarian electoral system, and the remaining 75 deputies of the Legislative Chamber from a single district on the basis of votes given to political parties under a proportional electoral system (party list).

Another important issue is that changes are being made to increase the minimum number of women from thirty to forty percent of the total number of candidates when nominating candidates for deputies from political parties.

Along with this, changes aimed at improving the activities of election commissions were approved. In particular, it is strictly established that the Central Election Commission is elected consisting of nine members, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission is elected for a period of five years, and the same person cannot be elected chairman of the Central Election Commission for more than two consecutive terms.

Senators especially noted that the adoption of this Constitutional Law serves to further expand the role of political parties in the activities of parliament and local representative bodies, to create a legal basis for the introduction of a majoritarian-proportional electoral system for the formation of the deputy corps of the Legislative Chamber.

After active discussion, the Law was approved by senators.