Voting Underway For Uzbekistan's Historic Referendum
TASHKENT (Uzbekistan), April 30 (Bernama) -- Uzbekistan voters on Sunday started to cast their ballots from 8 am to decide on various amendments to the constitution in a historic referendum which if approved will change the Central Asian country's political, economic and social development aspects in many ways.
The voting process is scheduled to end at 8 pm and results to be announced within the next 10 days. According to the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan, the country of some 36 million people has about 19.72 million registered voters.
Polls are also being conducted in 55 places overseas while in Uzbekistan it involves 10,758 centres.
Those 18 and above are eligible to cast their votes answering a simple question of "Do you accept the constitutional law regarding the constitution of the Uzbekistan Republic, with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.
Around 500 foreign guests including from Malaysia as well as foreign journalists are here for the referendum.
In the historic city of Samarkand, Head of Commission of 7th Samarkand referendum district Farmon Toshev told Bernama that the referendum will enhance the reputation of Uzbekistan in the eyes of world.
"The purpose of the referendum is to enhance the quality of life of the Uzbek people. It united the whole nation," he added.
The draft constitution for the referendum touches on various aspects of the Islamic country such as women empowerment, youth rights, health and education.
Dilfuza Khalikova, a referendum official at the 147th referendum district in Samarkand city said some people had started arriving as early as 7.30 am to vote, reflecting their eagerness to participate in the referendum.
Bekzod Otakulov, the head of a voting office of the 64th Samarkand referendum district told Bernama that poll officials are facilitating the voting process at homes for those facing health issues, the very elderly and for people with disabilities.
At 147th referendum district, voters were entertained with recorded songs at the entrance of the polling centre at a school to create a relaxing environment at the polling centre where the voting process was going on smoothly.
In the state capital Tashkent, law student at Tashkent State University of Law Sitora Murodjonova who had already cast an early vote and voted for the first time said she was excited with the whole process of the referendum and the democratic exercise.
"The referendum is very necessary for the further progress of our country and the people," she told Bernama.
"When I studied the draft there is so many additions on various important issues related to gender equality, women, labour force, young people and human rights" she told Bernama. There will be a new chapter in our history, she further said.
More than 200 amendments and additions to 64 Articles of the country’s constitution is being proposed. There was a nationwide discussion held about the proposed amendments with more than 220,000 proposals received from the people.
In the preparation of the draft constitution, foreign experiences - the constitutions of 190 countries including Malaysia were taken into consideration.
The people-centric referendum is also taking into consideration the aspirations of the younger generation as the country’s population is expected to reach 50 million by 2040, with more than half of them being young people, thus in order to provide them the conducive environment, among others a stable economy and social guarantees are necessary, as stated in the draft constitution.
One key aspect of the draft constitution touching on human rights, stated that "ensuring the human and civil rights and freedom is the highest goal of the state".
The referendum on the amendments to the constitution is part of various broad reforms being implemented by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev since becoming interim President in September 2016, elected in an open election with huge majority in the 2016 presidential election, following the death of Uzbekistan’s long-time leader Islam Karimov.
-- BERNAMA
