Oriented on making people closer

On 27 October, the day of the election of deputies to the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis (the lower house of parliament) of the Republic of Uzbekistan, a delegation of Turkmenistan consisting of the Chairman of the CEC Gulmyrat Myradov and Secretary-Referent of the CEC office Hekimberdi Ovezov visited several polling stations in Tashkent.

Accompanied by an ORIENT representative, our observers immediately felt the festive atmosphere. There was activity at the polling stations, with work starting at 8 a.m. and oriental melodies playing in the air as volunteers warmly welcomed voters. On this day, not only individual voters came, but also entire families and even groups of neighbors, highlighting the significance of the moment for everyone.

During their acquaintance with the organization of polling stations, the observers came to the conclusion that good preparations had been made for this crucial political event of the year in Uzbekistan under the slogan “My Choice - Prosperous Motherland”. Considering that more than ten thousand polling stations were set up for the voting process, the scale and volume of this meticulous work can be appreciated.

The voting process was monitored by national and international observers. There were many journalists representing local and foreign publications, and voters were eager to share their opinions and impressions with them.

Medical personnel were present at all polling stations in case of unexpected situations. For those voters who had questions, polling station commission staff and volunteers provided comprehensive explanations immediately.

All five registered parties in Uzbekistan took part in the elections: The Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party “Milliy Tiklanish”, the Ecological Party, the People's Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party “Adolat”. While interacting with voters, we noticed how confidently they expressed their preferences - they clearly knew who they were voting for and why. There was a sense of spiritual uplift and high interest among the population in the outcomes of the voting, reflecting citizens' involvement in the fate of their homeland.

Return visits to the polling stations revealed how quickly the transparent ballot boxes filled up: within a few hours, the number of ballots had noticeably increased. The observers noted not only the festive atmosphere among the voters but also the respect shown to elderly voters and the attentive care given to people with disabilities, which underscored the importance of making elections accessible to all.

A notable aspect of this election was the digital interaction. The "E-Saylov" system, which ensures complete transparency of the process, was particularly well-received by young voters, indicating the readiness of the new generation to actively participate in the political life of the country.

ORIENT spoke to many participants of this event, and the story about it deserves to be more detailed, which we will do in the near future. In the meantime, we will share the opinion of the already mentioned Hekimberdi Ovezov, who noted the high political activity of the residents of Tashkent, who came to the polling stations until the evening on Sunday, with the peak being recorded in the first half of the day.

By 1 p.m. the turnout had reached 47.62%, thus exceeding the 33% threshold required to declare an election valid. By 5 p.m., more than 14 million people out of almost 20 million registered voters had voted, which is more than 70% of the electorate.

At the end of this busy day, members of the Turkmen delegation, along with representatives of the host side, visited the "Ashgabat" park in Tashkent.

Bekdurdy AMANSARYYEV

Photo: orient.tm