Democracy in Uzbekistan

The monthly newsletter by the Nationwide Movement 'Yuksalish', Institute for Socio-Economic Initiatives, and the International NGO 'Regional Dialogue'

       Newsletter #39                                                                                      July 5, 2023      

This publication is prepared with the support of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)
of the US Department of State. The contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect
the views of the INL or the United States Government 

The Yuksalish Movement Published 10 Proposals to Eradicate Torture in Uzbekistan

OSCE/ODIHR: Election Campaign in Uzbekistan is Low-Key

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR) published an interim report on the observation of the presidential election in Uzbekistan. It presents both positive changes in the electoral legislation and in the country as a whole, as well as shortcomings, which, according to OSCE experts, need to be addressed.

Thus, “recent constitutional amendments have removed the blanket restriction on the right to vote of those serving prison terms for serious and especially serious crimes and those declared incompetent. From now on, the right to vote of these citizens can only be limited by a court decision,” the report notes.

At the same time, the document states that there is still work to be done on some long-term OSCE recommendations. In particular, this concerns “the realization of fundamental freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression, as well as civilian election observation and political party registration.”

Despite previous ODIHR recommendations, the legislation does not provide for citizen observers to observe the elections.

Recall that the mission is headed by Ambassador Ursula Gacek. It consists of 11 core team members based in Tashkent and 24 long-term observers throughout the country. Mission members are drawn from 25 OSCE participating States. Two hundred and fifty short-term observers from OSCE countries are due to arrive to observe election day procedures.

NGOs and the Media will Have the Right to Conduct a Public Examination of Regulatory Legal Acts

The Senate at its 42^nd plenary session on June 22 approved a law “On anticorruption assessment of normative-legal acts and their projects”.

Until now, the anti-corruption assessment of legal acts and their drafts has been regulated by a regulation approved by the Ministry of Justice. This situation created the ground for corruption gaps in the legislative acts, it was said at the meeting.

According to the Chairman of the Senate Tanzila Narbayeva, in 2021 an anti-corruption examination of more than 800 existing acts of legislation was carried out, in 224 of them, or 28%, more than 650 corruption factors were found.

According to the law, anti-corruption expertise is carried out not only by the bodies of justice, but also by the Agency for Counteracting Corruption, legal services of state bodies and organizations, as well as state bodies and organizations tasked with the enforcement of normative legal acts.

Non-state non-profit organizations, citizens' self-government bodies and mass media are granted the right to conduct public expertise of normative legal acts.

The law must be signed by the president in order to take effect.

Alberto Turkstra: The New Constitution is a Solid Foundation for Building the New Uzbekistan

Alberto Turkstra, project manager at Diplomatic World and co-founder of the Brussels-Uzbekistan Friendship Group, published an article titled “A New Constitution for New Uzbekistan” about the outcome of the referendum on Uzbekistan's new constitution.

The author notes, in particular, that continuity and political stability are important in a rapidly changing country like Uzbekistan, which faces many geopolitical, economic and social challenges. One such challenge is related to demographics: More than half of Uzbekistan’s 36 million people are under 30 years old, which puts pressure on the education system, labor market and housing, for example. Such challenges require a long-term political vision; the situation is quite different in some advanced democracies, where political leaders do not look beyond the next election cycle.

Under the new Constitution, the state's obligations to its citizens are greatly increased in terms of social privileges and protection of civil liberties. This increases the responsibility and accountability of those in power and redefines the expectations of citizens toward the state. One thing is certain: the new Constitution will be a solid foundation for building the New Uzbekistan.

Children's Ombudsman Helped Children Living in an Unhealthy Family Environment

N.R., an 11-year-old boy who ran away from home because of domestic violence, turned to the children's ombudsman Aliya Yunusova for help, the ombudsman’s press service reported.

The boy went to live with his grandmother because his mother suffers from alcoholism and his father passed away. Three other children remained in the house: an older brother and sister and a little sister.

The child said that he did not go to school, could not read, and wanted to live with his grandmother. His mother had placed him in a psychiatric hospital three times. Once, when they were playing cards and his card fell down, his mother stabbed the boy in the chest, leaving a scar.

On June 16, Aliya Yunusova and representatives of the child protection sector and mahalla went to the woman’s home, where they caught her in a state of alcoholic intoxication. The woman started shouting, insulting and trying to chase the visitors away. When they managed to get into the house, it turned out that she had been on a binge for some time, the conditions in the house did not meet sanitary requirements, and the children were left to their own devices.

The mother was placed in a medical facility for treatment and the children were transferred to the Center for Social and Legal Assistance to Minors until the woman was cured and returned to her family. The children are provided with legal, medical, and social assistance.

Certain Categories of Citizens will be Able to Receive Legal Aid at the Expense of the State

Low-income persons, persons suffering from mental disorders, those who sue for violations of equal rights of women and men, as well as those accused and convicted in criminal cases will be able to receive legal aid at the expense of the state. This is stipulated by the law of June 16.

To obtain such legal assistance, individuals apply to a specially authorized state body – the Ministry of Justice, based on the principle of extraterritoriality, either orally, in writing or electronically.

Legal aid at state expense will be provided only by lawyers included in the Registry of lawyers providing legal aid at state expense.

The law will go into effect on September 18, 2023.

Boriy Alikhanov: In Tashkent, the Water Consumption Per Person is About 400 Liters Per Day

The use of water resources in Uzbekistan continues to be irrational, Boriy Alikhanov, chairman of the Senate Committee on the Development of the Aral Sea Region and Ecology, said at a plenary session of the Senate on June 22.

Almost 90% of the fresh water produced in the country is used in agriculture. In the world this indicator is on average 65%. Water consumption per hectare in agriculture is 2-2.5 times higher than in some countries. There are noticeable water losses during its delivery to the crop fields. There are failures in irrigation networks. In addition, the groundwater level is decreasing more and more. Outdated methods and means are used in the sectors of economy, social facilities and in the agricultural sector, the Senator noted.

According to him, in Tashkent the water consumption per person per day on some days reaches 400 liters. Thus, in Berlin this figure is 124 liters, in Moscow - 249 liters, and in Chinese cities on average only 204 liters. The senator added that there is no full-fledged cadastre of underground and surface water in the country, there is only a cadastre of water reservoirs.

Mental Health Services will be Developed in Uzbekistan

12 Employees of the Detention Center in Andijan are Convicted in the Case of the Death of a Prisoner

On May 22, the Angren city court for criminal cases of the Tashkent region concluded its consideration of the case of the death of a prisoner in a detention center in Andijan.

The court sentenced 13 people in the case of the death of a detainee in PDF No. 3 in Andijan. Six employees of the detention facility and one detainee were sentenced to prison for brutally beating a detainee, who later died. The rest of the staff, including the head of the PDF and two doctors, received restriction of freedom.

The court decision has not entered into force at the moment. Appeals have been drawn up for consideration of the case in the appellate instance of the Tashkent regional court for criminal cases.

An Eco-blogger Held a Campaign Calling for Saving Water

On June 12, the eco-blogger Urikguli (Apricot flower) held another rally in Tashkent, calling on people to save water and stop over-watering lawns and pouring water on the asphalt.

The action was a series of photos in the form of “solitary pickets,” with blogger Mutabar Khushvaktova holding placards with inscriptions: “Fix the watering fountains!”, “This is not the right way to water, tree roots rot, a lot of water is wasted!”, “Save water! Don't water the asphalt!” and others.

This is not her first environmental action. In early May, the blogger published a collection of videos of the capital’s streets and sidewalks being flooded with water from irrigation fountains. In April, she also held an action with posters “held" by the trees themselves, asking people not to interfere with their growth.

Current topics in blogs

Televised Debates Between Representatives of Presidential Candidates are Organized

In Uzbekistan, television debates were organized between representatives of presidential candidates. It was broadcast on 13 TV channels in Uzbek, with translations into Karakalpak, Russian, and English.

On June 25 TV debates were devoted to the issues of economic and social development of the country. On July 2, candidates’ proxies spoke about the initiatives and plans of the candidates to improve the system of state administration and the judicial and legal sphere.

CEC Approves the Ballot for the Presidential Election

The Central Election Commission approved the form and text of the ballot for the presidential election in Uzbekistan at a meeting on June 9.

Four candidates will be listed on the ballot alphabetically according to the Uzbek alphabet based on the Latin alphabet. In the same way they will be listed in the protocols on the results of vote counting at polling stations and on the determination of election results.

Senators Approve Ratification of Treaty on Demarcation of Uzbek-Kazakh Border

The Senate approved a law ratifying the treaty between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on the demarcation of the state border.

This treaty was signed by the presidents of the two countries on December 21, 2022. According to the treaty, the length of the demarcated state border line between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is over 2,356 km.

The treaty completely completes the definition of the Uzbek-Kazakh border and thus creates prerequisites for ensuring its security and inviolability.

A joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Trinidad and Tobago was signed in New York on June 15. This is the 144^th country with which Uzbekistan has established diplomatic relations.

A joint communiqué on this was signed by the permanent representatives of the two countries at the UN in New York. The two sides reaffirmed their interest in strengthening joint cooperation within international organizations, including the UN and its agencies.

Senators Approve Changes to the Law on the Flag of Uzbekistan

The Ministry of Justice Registered Uzbekistan's Club as an NGO

The Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan registered the non-governmental non-profit organization Uzbekistan's Club.

Previously, the NGO was called the Center for Promotion of Cinematography and was re-registered, taking into account the change of name and expansion of goals.

The main goals of Uzbekistan's Club are to work with Uzbeks who achieved success at the international level, to create and promote media products about them, to develop cooperation of Uzbeks living abroad, to increase the potential of the diaspora and its contribution to the development of Uzbekistan.

“We will continue to develop the Uzbekistan's Club media platform for Uzbeks, ensuring their continued interaction, as well as providing a springboard for young compatriots to realize their goals,” the NGO said in a statement.

In early April, the online platform Uzbekistan's Club began operating. The club's team is shooting a series of “O'zbekistonlik” films about successful Uzbeks abroad.

Authorities Commented on the Situation of Uzbeks Stranded in Germany

About 100 students from Uzbekistan who went to Germany through Turon World Cooperation were unable to find work and found themselves in a difficult situation.

The Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction reported that the fact is being checked, for a legal assessment of the situation will be appealed to law enforcement agencies.

The Consulate General of Uzbekistan in Frankfurt am Main reported receiving information about citizens who arrived in Germany and were forced to spend the night at Munich Central Station “due to employment problems and a lack of sufficient financial resources”.

“Uzbek diplomats together with activists of the Uzbek-German cultural society Humo quickly went to the place and through the capabilities of compatriots provided the necessary assistance to 35 needy citizens of Uzbekistan in their temporary accommodation on the territory of this country,” the report says.

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Berlin and the Consulate General have taken control of the situation and are working with the competent authorities to resolve the situation, said the diplomatic mission.

Termez Mahallas Received Containers for Separate Waste Collection

Within the framework of the state social order “Recycling household waste, the development of environmental education”, implemented by the international charitable foundation ECOSAN, 24 containers for separate waste collection were handed over to the Shodlik, Uzbekiston, Dustlik, Tuprokkurgon, Zhaikhun and Amu-Sohillari mahallas in Termez.

New Assignments

Nodirjon Kholbutayev Headed the Department for the Development of the State Language

Nodirjon Jonuzokovich Holbutayev was appointed head of the Department for the Development of the State Language of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan.

Nodirjon Kholbutayev was born in 1976 in Samarkand region. He publishes poems under the pseudonym Nodir Jonuzok. He worked as editor-in-chief of Yoshlik magazine. In 2018, he was appointed deputy chairman of the Union of Writers on work with youth. In December 2019, he became the first deputy chairman of the organization.

In April 2022 he was appointed deputy presidential adviser for youth, science, education, health, culture and sports. In December of the same year he again became the first deputy head of the Writers' Union for creative affairs.

Success stories of NGOs in Uzbekistan

A Bridge was Built in Koshrabat District

A delegation from Uzbekistan led by Chairman of the Yuksalish Movement Bobur Bekmurodov took part in the 14^th session of the Review Group on the Implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption held by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Austrian capital Vienna on 12-16 June.

During the visit, the delegation also participated in a briefing for NGOs on the results of the review process and technical assistance needs, and held a number of meetings with representatives of international organizations and think tanks. In particular, on June 15, the Chairman of the Yuksalish Movement met with Jean-Luc Lemahieu, Director of the UNODC Policy Analysis and Public Affairs Division. The parties exchanged information about their organizations, ongoing projects and their results, as well as plans for the future.

During the meeting, it was noted that world's third Central Asian Anticorruption Hub, initiated by the Anti-Corruption Agency, will be launched in Samarkand. Uzbekistan, as the host country, will be the locomotive of these changes. The Anti-Corruption Laboratory, which is implemented by Nationwide Movement Yuksalish together with the Agency for Counteracting Corruption and with the support of the Regional Dialogue INNO, also received high praise. According to foreign experts, such research on the part of NGOs ensures the high quality of work carried out by the state in this area.

At the end of the meeting, representatives of UNODC supported the initiative of the Nationwide Movement “Yuksalish” to join the Civil Society Coalition on the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption, expressing their readiness to provide all possible support in this direction.

Contributing team:

Elvina Mustafina
Shamshod Yunusov
Munis Alieva
Sukhrob Tukhtamishev
Lyudmila Stayshyunayte

Layout:
Jasur Oltinboyev

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