I am in favor of increasing the number of women leaders in the political arena - Robakhon Mahmudova

The "Adolat" Social Democratic Party is a political force that considers women's participation crucial in realizing its main ideas. In the party's election program, emphasizes the necessity of increasing the activity and role of women in the social and political life of society, achieving gender equality, protecting the legal rights and interests of women, actively involving talented and highly qualified women in state administration and politics, and being an active participant in the prevention of violence against women and children. This was revealed in an interview with Robakhon Mahmudova, the chairman of the Political Council of "Adolat" SDP.

Dear Robakhon Anvarovna, an important political reality in the life of Uzbekistan—the day of elections to the parliament and local councils — is approaching. Of course, the election is a mirror of democracy, a serious test of the political forces operating in the country, and a unique measure of the party's report to the people and its plans for the next five years.

So, in the past five years, did the "Adolat" party achieve the goals set in the pre-election program and fulfill its plans? In a word, has the party earned the trust of the voters?

– First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for the attention shown to our party during these auspicious days, when the spirit of great women is present in our country.
At the same time, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely congratulate all the people of Uzbekistan on our biggest and dearest holiday—Independence Day! Happy 33rd anniversary of our country's independence to all of us!

Of course, it is difficult to express the glory of Independence and the happiness it brings in words. It has been 33 years since we gained the right to determine our destiny. During this brief period in history, which is "as short as the blink of an eye," unprecedented changes have taken place in our Motherland. It should be noted that the reforms implemented in the fields of economy, human rights, justice, and social protection align with the ideas put forward by our party. In this regard, it was important for us to declare that Uzbekistan is a legal state in our newly revised Constitution.

Independence has created opportunities for political parties in our country to protect the interests and rights of the population, adopt new approaches in systematic work with their proposals and problems, and promote important initiatives and ideas.

Our party, which has been effectively operating since February 1995, is a gift of Independence.

On such joyous days, I once again wish for our independence to be eternal, our land to be peaceful, and our skies always clear!

Now, to your question.

You are right. The time when political parties will be tested is approaching. In 2020-2024, "Adolat" SDP announced that the party's main principle is "justice everywhere and for everyone!" Achieving the rule of law and justice is the criterion of our actions!" A large part of more than 200 initiatives in public administration, judiciary, ensuring the rule of law, social spheres, ecology, and foreign policy, put forward in the election program based on populist social-democratic ideas, have been implemented in the life of the country and society.

Of course, if we list them one by one now, our conversation could go on for a long time. Therefore, I will limit myself to mentioning only some of our achievements.

The party successfully introduced a special provision on the immunity of judges in Article 136 of the newly revised Constitution as part of the task of comprehensive development of the judicial system, increasing the status of courts, and ensuring the immunity of judges to achieve justice in society in a typical social-democratic manner.

With this provision, the independence and inviolability of judges were strengthened at the constitutional level. It guarantees that the powers of a judge cannot be terminated or suspended in a manner other than the procedure and grounds established by law.

Additionally, based on the party's initiative to establish courts of general jurisdiction, courts were established in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regions, and the city of Tashkent, while maintaining the strict specialization of judges based on regional and equivalent civil cases, criminal courts, and economic courts.

Another initiative of our party in this direction was the inclusion of a separate chapter entitled "Advocacy" in the new version of the Constitution to further elevate the status of lawyers. The supreme document confirms that lawyers, their honor, dignity, and professional activities are under the protection of the state and safeguarded by law.

Additionally, the initiative to gradually transfer higher education institutions to self-financing, which was proposed in the party program, has been implemented. Today, more than 40 higher education institutions have been transferred to the self-financing system.

It is well-known that the faction of this political force in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis plays an important role in realizing the goals and tasks of the political party. Over the past five years, the "Adolat" faction of the SDP in the Legislative Chamber has reviewed more than 450 draft laws serving the interests of the party's electorate and our people within the framework of the right of legislative initiative, and 30 draft laws have been adopted.

Furthermore, 107 deputation requests were sent to the relevant state bodies to address the shortcomings identified by faction members based on citizens' appeals.

One example of this is the initiative to further expand opportunities for our youth to obtain higher education and to provide social support to families with two or more children studying in higher education. The faction sent a request to the Prime Minister to allow payment of tuition fees for higher education in installments. This initiative was supported by the government, and the procedure for paying contract fees in four installments has now been introduced.

Additionally, during studies carried out in cooperation with the party and the faction, it was found that there is a significant difference between foreign and local drugs with the same composition and characteristics, with some local products being 10-15 times more expensive than those from other countries. Deputies' inquiries sent to the Prosecutor General's Office and the Competition Committee regarding the sale of drugs led to the prevention of unjustified price increases for dozens of drugs sold in pharmacies.

In turn, the faction actively supported the adoption of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On the Status of Teachers," which implements organizational and legal measures aimed at further raising the legal status of teachers, increasing their salaries, and improving their social status.

As I mentioned earlier, these are only a part of the actions that "Adolat" members have put into practice over the past five years.

– Robakhon Anvarovna, a question arises here. Which of the works or projects implemented by the party during this period do you personally believe have benefited the people the most and addressed serious and painful problems in society?

– If I had to highlight one thing, I would mention our stance on the "propiska" system, which has caused difficulties for many people over the years.

As a result of the efforts and proposals of the "Adolat" party based on our election program, a new approach to the "propiska" system was gradually developed, ensuring our citizens' right to determine their permanent place of residence according to their wishes. Several normative legal documents were adopted to improve this system. As a result, the requirement to be permanently registered in Tashkent city and Tashkent region to own real estate in these regions was canceled.

In particular, last week, the Legislative Chamber adopted the draft law "On the procedure for registration and notification of residence of citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan, foreign citizens, and stateless persons" in the first reading. I believe this was a significant step toward ensuring and guaranteeing the constitutional rights of citizens.

Speaking directly about the party's projects, I can confidently say that every project of our party has won the public's trust due to its popular and effective nature.

In particular, the party's free donation project under the slogan "We love you, child" has become the flagship of our party's projects. This project, which is traditionally organized twice a year—on June 1, "International Children's Day," December 3, "International Day of Disabled People," and December 8, on the eve of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan—has earned a special place in the hearts of our people.

The main goal of the project is to support children in need of medical and social assistance, to save the lives of sick children, and to promote the values of humanity and kindness in society.

Over the past five years, a total of 20,423 volunteers participated in the campaign and donated blood for sick children. This donated blood was used to save the lives of thousands of children in need.

– Today, we are primarily discussing the party's Election Program for 2020-2024. Let’s continue with this topic. Robakhon Anvarovna, what can you tell us about the plans and goals set in the party's program that have not yet been realized? What will be their future? Will they be shelved, or...?

– It must be acknowledged that some of our proposals and ideas defined in our election program have not been fully realized. Specifically, our party proposed the creation of a single electronic database of drugs and the implementation of an electronic system that displays the name, price, manufacturer, distributor, and importer of all drugs, including imported ones.

To date, our party has undertaken many practical efforts in this direction, conducted several studies, and made critical statements. However, the creation of a single electronic database of drugs and the implementation of an electronic system that displays comprehensive information about drugs, including those imported from abroad, has not yet been fully achieved.

Remaining committed to our goal, we will continue to emphasize this important issue in our new election program. We are promoting the initiative to establish a unified electronic database of medicines and introduce a comprehensive electronic system nationwide. This issue is too critical to be left on the "bottom shelf."

– You are the only leading woman among the leaders of political parties. From this perspective, how important are women’s issues and gender equality in the activities of the party?

In general, what significant work has the party done from 2020 to 2024 to increase the influence of women in society and the state, strengthen the protection of women's rights and interests, and support the institution of the family?

– Currently, our party has more than 1.1 million members, with 52 percent being women. Sixty-two percent of our faction in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and 33 percent of the senators from our party are women. Over the past four years, female members of our faction have initiated 27 bills within the framework of legislative initiative.
For instance, a group of our female deputies drafted a bill "On Amendments to the Election Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan," proposing to increase the minimum percentage of women candidates from 30% to 40%. This proposal was accepted, and relevant changes were made to the Election Code. This demonstrates our party’s high regard and trust in women.

Furthermore, "Adolat" is a political force that values women's participation in realizing the main ideas of the SDP. Our party’s election program aims to increase the activity and role of women in social and political life, achieve gender equality, protect the legal rights and interests of women, actively involve talented and highly qualified women in state administration and politics, and actively participate in the prevention of violence against women and children.

To this end, several effective projects are being implemented by the "Just Women" wing of our party. Notably, within the framework of the "One Justice - a Defender for One Hundred Women" project, about 5,300 face-to-face dialogues, meetings, and roundtable discussions were held by the party's deputy corps, party activists, and the "Just Women" wing, covering 234,045 participants.

As a result of these dialogues and events, "Protection Warrants" were issued to 579 women with the support of the party, providing protection from oppression and violence within families.

If we summarize the work done in this direction, it is clear that significant results have been achieved by our party. Additionally, we have several ongoing ideas and initiatives to further support women in the future.

In particular, we plan to propose the creation of a special electronic platform to provide legal assistance to women who have suffered violence. This initiative will be included in our new election program, aiming to systematize our efforts in this area. Furthermore, to enhance the representation of women in the executive branch, we propose a rule that at least 30 percent of leadership positions should be held by women. As a personal addition, I am strongly in favor of increasing the number of women leaders in the political arena.

– Thank you. We agree with this opinion, of course. The relationship between political parties and the social problems emerging in society today sometimes seems weak. What factors do you think contribute to these situations?

– I respect your opinion, but I don’t agree with it. You might not have a complete understanding of our work. I can't speak for other parties, but the "Adolat" party has been responsive to pressing social issues that provoke legitimate public concern.

The key is that, in addressing these issues, we not only present our party's stance but also propose actionable solutions based on thorough analysis and evidence, ultimately aiming to achieve results.

For example, in recent years, there has been an increase in the construction of buildings and structures in public parks, avenues, and groves, which are considered state property. This has led to the cutting down of mature trees, environmental degradation, and public protests.

Our party has taken this issue seriously and conducted studies in several regions. The findings revealed that tree-covered areas in 184 recreational parks were reduced, with 944 buildings and structures erected, 91 unauthorized installations in 18 parks, and 1,248 attractions unlawfully placed in 98 parks.

To address these issues and prevent similar problems in the future, our party initiated the drafting of a law titled "On the Strengthening of Protection for Cultural, Recreational, and Entertainment Centers." This proposed legislation strictly prohibits the privatization, construction, or alteration of cultural and recreational centers, including their land and facilities, as well as any boundary changes or expansions.

As another example of our practical actions, our party successfully intervened to cancel the decision by the governor of the Fergana region regarding the destruction of "Youth Lake."

– Based on your previous response, it seems that the proposals of the Social-Democratic Party "Adolat" sometimes lead to changes in existing practices, especially regarding government positions. In what other areas does the party not fully support the Government's stance?

– As you rightly pointed out, we frequently raise serious issues with the Government based on the interests of our citizens and our party's electorate. The fields of education and healthcare have been areas of continuous focus for social democrats.

Therefore, our party will thoroughly evaluate the activities of the Ministry of Pre-School and School Education through our projects, parliamentary groups, and faction members. Our current studies indicate that the quality of education in general education schools is not satisfactory.

This is also evident from the results of school graduates' entrance exams to higher education institutions. For instance, 46.9 percent of applicants did not achieve a passing score of 56.7 points in the 2024 entrance exams.

The salaries of teachers have increased significantly, and measures are being taken to further raise their salaries. However, the quality of school education remains low. Due to this low quality, parents are forced to spend additional money on educational centers and tutors for their children. This situation has led to justified concerns from parents about their children’s ability to enter higher education institutions based solely on their school education.

The ministry has not taken serious measures to address this issue. We are questioning why the results are insufficient despite the state creating numerous opportunities and allocating substantial funds to education.

Medical workers, who are crucial to our health system, are also part of the electorate of the "Adolat" SDP. Projects such as "Justice - for Safe Medicine," "Let’s Unite for Health," and "A Country with Healthy Children Will Be Powerful!" are part of our initiatives. Within these projects, the party has conducted several studies, which unfortunately reveal that the Ministry of Health has not adequately addressed the provision of convenient medical services to the public or the control of medicine sales.

Despite several years of emphasis on digitizing the medical field in Uzbekistan, significant progress has yet to be made. Medical records have not been digitized, and prescriptions are still written on paper. The foundation of "Smart Medicine" should be an electronic database containing patients’ medical histories.

Unfortunately, although 90 billion soums have been allocated from the budget for the digitization of the medical field over the past two years, the results have not met expectations. Issues such as collusion between doctors and pharmaceutical companies persist. In the next five years, we plan to overhaul the ministry's activities by fully digitizing the healthcare system, establishing "electronic polyclinics" and "single electronic questionnaire" systems, and implementing measures to criminally penalize collusion and illegal communications between pharmaceutical and medical personnel.

Additionally, the high prices of some medicines sold in pharmacies are a source of public discontent. There is a significant price disparity for medicines with the same composition and properties across different pharmacies. The same drug can be sold at two or three different prices, depending on the pharmacy.

Neither the Ministry of Health nor the Agency for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Network has established an effective system for organizing the circulation and quality control of medicines. For example, the deaths of 68 children due to the drug "Dok-1 Max" could have been avoided if officials had effectively managed this sector.

Such problems need systematic solutions.

While mistakes can be corrected, the loss of lives and health cannot be restored.

– Which party do you think will be the main opponent of "Adolat" in this year's election?

– Our place in the political arena and the strategy we have developed for the upcoming elections drive us to focus on effective actions to achieve our goals. Therefore, we believe it is more important to concentrate our efforts on serving the people rather than fixating on specific opponents. Our primary task is to fulfill the trust of our citizens and enhance their well-being. At the same time, we recognize that every party participating in the election is a competitor. Currently, it is fair to say that UzLiDeP, which has led for many years, is our main rival.

– The election process is in full swing. During our conversation, we also had a few brief questions:

– What kind of food do you like?

– Our national dishes.

– Do you prefer weekdays or weekends?

– It’s good to have both work and rest on time?

– Do you prefer living in a house or an apartment?

– If the home is filled with kindness, the specific type of dwelling is secondary.

– What kind of car do you like to drive?

– I view driving a car as a necessity rather than a luxury. Comfort during travel is important to me.

– What color do you like?

– Blue.

– How would you describe your character?

– I am open to new ideas and initiatives and strive to provide a realistic assessment of situations.

– As a person, do you enjoy flattery?

– I am quite intolerant of flattery.

– If you had the chance to live again, would you choose to be a lawyer once more?

– Absolutely.