OSCE mission visits Uzbekistan to evaluate election preparations

A team from the Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) under the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has arrived in Uzbekistan. This visit was announced by the press service of the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan.

The OSCE ODIHR conducts needs assessments before each election. These assessments evaluate the pre-election environment and the compatibility of national election laws with international standards. Based on these findings, they decide whether to observe the election, the type and duration of observation, and the number of observers required.

During their visit, NAM experts will meet with representatives from various ministries, political parties, media organizations, and civil society groups.

On May 28, the mission experts met with Zayniddin Nizamkhodjaev, the head of the Central Election Commission; Keara Castaldo, the senior adviser of the OSCE ODIHR election department; and Kakha Inaishvili, the election adviser.

The discussions focused on implementing recommendations from previous election monitoring missions by the National Election Monitoring Committee into national election laws and practices, and ongoing efforts to improve the legal framework related to elections.

Experts were also briefed on recent changes to the lower house of parliament and electoral bodies. These changes include the creation of a centralized electoral system and the introduction of a mixed electoral system for parliamentary elections.

The mission expressed appreciation for the analysis of ODIHR's final reports on the 2023 referendum and early presidential election and acknowledged efforts to incorporate these recommendations into electoral laws and practices. They also expressed support for ongoing efforts to align election procedures with international democratic principles.

Uzbekistan is expected to hold parliamentary elections this year. Last year, international observers from ODIHR noted that while the technical preparation for the presidential elections in Uzbekistan was good, there was a lack of genuine competition.