Uzbekistan Election 2024: Uzbekistan is preparing for a significant political event this year: the elections for the parliament and local councils. This election stands out as it will be the first time in Uzbekistan’s history that the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis will be elected under a mixed electoral system—both majoritarian and proportional.
Election Format and Significance
The upcoming elections will determine 50% of the lower house deputies through the majoritarian system, where voters choose one candidate from each district. The remaining 50% will be elected based on party lists, with votes cast for political parties under the proportional system. Each party is allowed to nominate between 75 to 100 candidates on its list.
This election format emphasizes the role of political parties and their appeal to voters. The number of votes a party receives will be critical in assessing the party’s influence and the relevance of its program goals.
Uzbekistan Election 2024 – Party Influence and Support
As the election date approaches, questions arise about which parties have the most supporters and influence among Uzbekistan’s citizens. Which party’s goals and programs resonate most with the public? Which parties have the strongest backing from youth and women?
Major Political Parties and Membership
- People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (PDPU):
- Founded alongside Uzbekistan’s independence, the PDPU boasts 704,183 members, with 40% (281,167) being youth and 50% (351,209) being women.
- The party has 10,695 primary organizations across the country.
- Social Democratic Party “Adolat”:
- Established in 1995, “Adolat” has 1,104,283 members. Among them, 54% are women (595,208), and 39% are youth (430,689).
- Democratic Party “Milliy Tiklanish”:
- Created in 2008 from a merger of two parties, “Milliy Tiklanish” has over 762,000 members, of which 39% are women (265,000) and 51% are youth (341,000).
- Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (LDPU):
- Founded in 2003, the LDPU is the largest party with 1,620,238 members. Women make up 46% (738,591), while nearly 49% (782,877) are young people under 34.
- Ecological Party of Uzbekistan:
- Despite being the youngest party, established in 2018, the Ecological Party has attracted over 638,000 members. Among them, 50.3% (320,730) are women, and 41.8% (266,648) are youth.
Registration of Political Party Agents
On July 31, the Central Election Commission (CEC) took a key step by registering authorized representatives, known as political party agents. These agents play a critical role during the election process, including attending commission meetings, submitting documents, and overseeing vote counting at polling stations.
Saylov 2024 – Process and Digital Integration
In line with the Election Code, each political party can appoint an agent within five days of the official election campaign announcement. The registration process has been digitized, allowing for submissions via the “E-saylov” information system. This marks the first time electronic registration has been used for this purpose.
The CEC reviewed documents from the major political parties, including the LDPU, “Adolat,” “Milliy Tiklanish,” PDPU, and the Ecological Party, approving their agents’ registration. The process also involved issuing electronic registration cards (mandates) and providing signature sheets for collecting voter signatures, a crucial step for parties aiming to participate in the elections.
Signature Collection and Party Requirements
To officially participate and nominate candidates, political parties must fulfill certain requirements. They need to have been registered by the Ministry of Justice at least four months before the election campaign begins and must gather at least 40,000 signatures from supporters. The signature collection process is limited to specific administrative units, with no more than 8% of signatures collected from any single unit.
As Uzbekistan’s political landscape heats up, the 2024 elections will serve as a defining moment in the nation’s history, bringing both new challenges and opportunities for the parties involved.