"Open Budget" scandal: Pakhtachi medical chief forces employees to collect votes, insulting those who refuse

The head of the Pakhtachi District Medical Association in Samarkand region, Ulugbek Suvonov, is coercing his employees to collect votes. He even insulted a doctor who refused to comply. If the project, which is currently in second place, maintains its position, the medical association will receive 200 monoblocs and 50 printers. The purpose of acquiring such a large amount of equipment for the hospital remains unclear.

Employees of the Pakhtachi District Medical Association have reported to Kun.uz that they are being forced to collect votes in the "Open Budget" project.

Suvonov insulted one of his employees who refused to participate, calling him “rootless mutt” and comparing him to a dog.

"Voting must not stop at any cost. You will go out and collect votes systematically. Only one or two people are participating… Who is this Nurimov? I don’t even know his exact surname, nor do I want to say his name. Nurimov? Nurmonov? Who? He is a doctor in hemodialysis, named Jasur. He says, ‘This is forced labor, we shouldn’t do this.’

"This kind of person, someone in a white coat, a traitor, without loyalty, without ideology, without morals, someone completely worthless, is working among us. People like Nurimov Jasur. Where was he born? Not here. I don’t even know where his lineage comes from. That kind of lineage, that kind of mentality – where does it come from? He probably has no lineage at all. What kind of family, what kind of parents raised him? I don’t know.

"He tells employees that this is forced labor and that they are not obligated to vote. Who do you think you are? Your opinion is irrelevant. We will do this without you. You are a dog barking while our caravan moves forward. What kind of parents gave birth to him? Probably alcoholics," said Suvonov.

Suvonov emphasized that he personally controls the entire process and stated that he does not need "rotten elements" who refuse to participate in vote collection.

"Let’s see if you dare not participate. If you can’t do it, tell me. I will remove you. I don’t need such rotten elements. I will do this without them. Why should I allow such filth to contaminate my team? But be honest. Say, ‘I have no lineage, I am alone, no one listens to me, I have no relatives or family.’ I will fire you.

"The order is this: everyone must submit their reports, honestly and properly. You will continue to collect votes. Starting tomorrow, I will personally monitor everything. I will not let this slide. I have warned you all, and I will check each of you individually. This will be my job," Suvonov declared.

What’s behind the vote collection?

In the first phase of this year's "Open Budget" project, three projects proposed by the Pakhtachi District Medical Association are currently among the top 10 projects with the highest number of votes.

One of the initiatives has gathered over 3,700 votes and is currently in second place. This initiative seeks to purchase 200 monoblocs and 50 printers for the medical association. The project's estimated cost is 1.5 billion UZS.

This is not the first instance of such coercion. In previous "Open Budget" cycles, similar cases were observed. Notably, a project for an amusement park in Pakhtachi district was removed from the winners' list following criticism from Kun.uz. In another case, Ulmas Istamov, the deputy mayor of Kiziltepa district in Navoi region, was fined for threatening employees with dismissal if they did not participate in vote collection.

Forced vote collection is considered forced labor 

According to a presidential decree, forcing subordinates to collect votes in the "Open Budget" is classified as forced labor.

Article 5 of the Labor Code explicitly prohibits forced labor.

Additionally, Article 51 of the Administrative Code stipulates that officials who allow forced labor can be fined between 50 to 100 BRVs (Base Reference Values). If the offense is repeated or involves a minor, Article 148-2 of the Criminal Code establishes criminal liability.

Earlier, the Ministry of Economy and Finance announced that projects with votes obtained through coercion would be disqualified from the voting phase.