18 million, 88% of total number of eligible voters, participate
TASHKEN, Uzbekistan, Dec. 21, 2014 (The Korea Post Reporter David Chung)--President Islam Karimov of the Republic of Uzbekistan cast his vote at the Tashkent City Kengash here today at the polling station number 644 for the election of deputies to the Legislative Chamber (National Assembly) of Oliy Majlis.
Uzbekistan has a bicameral parliamentary system functioning since 2005. In 2003 and 2008, there were changes and additions made to the Constitution for laws as on the guarantee of electoral rights of citizens, elections to the Oliy Majlis, elections to regional, district and city Kengashes of people's deputies and on elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Today, all polling stations for the election of deputies to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and the representative bodies of state authority completed voting.
Chairman M. Abdusalomov of the Central Election Commission announced the completion of the elections at a briefing for local and foreign media at 10 pm tonight (Tashkent time) at the Republican Press Center of the election coverage.
According to preliminary data, 18 million voters took part in the elections, who accounted for 88 percent of the total number of eligible voters included in the lists. Thus, Chairman Abdusalomov declared valid the elections of deputies to the Legislative Chamber of the Parliament in accordance with Article 44 of the Law on Elections.
The Conference of the Environmental Movement of Uzbekistan, which held a secret ballot for the election of 15 members to the Legislative Chamber of the Parliament of the Environmental Movement, was also concluded.
At present, counting of votes and determination of the election results are in progress.
The elections were held in compliance with all democratic norms and principles enshrined in the Constitution and the electoral law. During the elections, the Central Election Commission did not receive any information on violations of the electoral law.
Currently, the polling stations are conducting votes separately for each candidate for deputy of the lower house of parliament according to the relevant provisions of the election law.
The elections for the central and local legislative bodies were observed by more than 300 international and foreign observers from over 50 countries, including the Republic of Korea, and five international organizations.
In addition, 70 thousand observers and authorized representatives of political parties watched over election.
Representatives of domestic and foreign media have been informed that a press conference, which will announce the preliminary results of elections, will take place on Dec. 22 at 3 pm local time.
