OSCE criticises Uzbek election, says shows need for reforms

Record ID: 75879

  • Title: OSCE criticises Uzbek election, says shows need for reforms
  • Date: 5th December 2016
  • Summary: TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN (DECEMBER 5, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** AUDIENCE AT NEWS CONFERENCE SPEAKERS MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF ODIHR OBSERVATION MISSION, PETER TEJLER, SAYING: "The dominant position of state actors and limits of fundamental freedoms undermined political pluralism and led to a campaign void of genuine competition. Media covered the election in a highly restrictive and controlled environment. And dissemination of state-defined narrative did not allow voters to receive an alternative view point." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF ODIHR OBSERVATION MISSION, PETER TEJLER, SAYING: "The absence of the centralised voter register and a possibility of registration on election day makes it difficult to ensure that voters are included in only one voter list and only once." AUDIENCE
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2016 17:46
  • Keywords: Uzbekistan election presidential election Shevkat Mirziyoyev
  • Location: TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN
  • City: TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN
  • Country: Uzbekistan
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015BLWTVR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) criticised on Monday (December 5) Uzbekistan's presidential election as falling well short of democratic norms, saying it underlined the need for "comprehensive reforms" in the ex-Soviet republic.
    Uzbekistan's prime minister and interim president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, 59, has become the country's second president, winning 88.61 percent of the vote in an election on Sunday (December 4).
    The OSCE, Europe's human rights watchdog, said in a preliminary statement that authorities in the Central Asian nation had failed to provide the conditions for a genuinely free and transparent election process.
    "The dominant position of state actors and limits on fundamental freedoms undermine political pluralism and led to a campaign devoid of genuine competition," the OSCE election observation mission head Peter Tejler told a news conference.
    He also said the election underscored the need for comprehensive reforms to address 'long-standing procedural and systematic shortcomings'.
    About 88 percent of Uzbekistan's 20 million eligible voters cast their ballots, according to Central Election Commission.
    Veteran leader Islam Karimov, who ran the resources-rich nation of 32 million with an iron fist, died in September aged 78.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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