Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – On 16 December, the Observer Mission from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has begun work in Uzbekistan.

A group of observers arrived to observe and monitor the preparation and conduct of elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, district, city and regional Kengashes of people’s deputies.

The mission was led by SCO Deputy Secretary General Xie Xiaoyong (PRC). He is accompanied by a representative delegation of 10 highly qualified specialists of the organization’s secretariat. Before the start of voting, another 11 members of the mission from among the representatives of the election bodies of the SCO countries are expected to arrive.

Upon arrival in Tashkent, the head of the SCO observer mission met with the chairman of the Central Election Commission Mirzo-Ulugbek Abdusalomov and the first deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan Ilkhom Nematov.

During the meeting at the CEC, the head of the mission, Deputy Secretary General of the SCO Xie Xiaoyong, expressed gratitude for the invitation to take part in observing the parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan. He noted that the SCO mission for the fourth time takes part in monitoring the election process in Uzbekistan.

According to the deputy secretary general, the SCO has rich experience not inferior to other international organizations in monitoring large-scale political events, including elections to representative bodies.

At a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xie Xiaoyong praised the political reforms carried out in Uzbekistan under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The successes of Uzbekistan in foreign policy serve to establish a qualitatively new climate in Central Asia, as well as increase the international authority of the republic.

It should be noted that the SCO highly appreciates the activities and role of Uzbekistan in the organization, which, along with other member states, makes a significant contribution to determining the future strategy for the development of mutually beneficial cooperation.

The main objective of the SCO mission is an objective assessment of the preparation, organization and conduct of elections, their compliance with international standards, as well as analysis of the voting results. Mission observers began familiarizing themselves with the current election campaign long before arrival, and also developed a concept for monitoring elections in Uzbekistan.

During their observation mission, the SCO delegates are guided by the Regulation “On the SCO Observer Mission in the Presidential and / or Parliamentary Elections and Referenda”, observing the principle of political neutrality, objectivity and non-interference in the internal affairs of the state in strict accordance with the national legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Special attention was paid to the SCO mission by innovations in the electoral legislation, in particular, the adoption of the Electoral Code of Uzbekistan and its individual norms, such as:

- the exclusion of restrictions on the participation in voting of persons held in places of deprivation of liberty for crimes that do not constitute a great public danger and less serious crimes;

- development of the Unified electronic voter list and creation of a technical basis for its functioning;

- providing conditions for increasing the participation of persons with disabilities in the voting process.

During the election observation, a group of SCO observers from 16 to 23 December will visit the district and precinct polling stations in Tashkent, Andijan, Bukhara, Kokand, Namangan, Samarkand, as well as in the settlements of Tashkent, Andijan, Bukhara, Ferghana, Namangan and Samarkand regions.

Xie Xiaoyong expressed confidence that the upcoming elections in Uzbekistan will be held at the proper level. According to the results of the observation on 23 December, the final press conference of the SCO mission is supposed to be held in the building of the International Press Center.