Yes, exactly new elections of old president. Many people are talking about it as in Uzbekistan as abroad. Some of them hope on changes, another believes everything is predestinated and think that it is just waste of time and money; other became uninterested to it at all.

 

Will these elections turn to farce and imitation of   declaration of public will or we have a chance for transparent elections? Uzbekistan is democratic country which supposes the ascendancy of demos and it is sad to see that people dry up to believe in the best, dry up to believe in their country, dry up to believe in themselves. It is enough to chat with taxi driver, neighbor, friend and you will understand the attitude of people regarding these voting.  And it is clear; the majority of population does not know any names of politicians and the other candidates except of  I.Karimov. In 1991 and 2000 I.Karimov chose the competitor by himself. First, it was opposition’s activist Muhamad Salih, next elections – Abdulhafiz Djalolov. In both cases the percentage of votes gotten by candidates was very low in comparison with I.Karimov.  On elections 2000, Karimov got 96 % of votes which supposed to demonstrate national support of President!!!

 

Present “scenario”   has some changes.  There are 5 candidates already presented themselves: Dilorom Tashmuhamedova (“Adolat” party), Ahtam Tursunov (“Fidokorlar” party), Hurshid Dostmuhamedov (“Milliy tiklanish” party), Asliddin Rustamov (“NDPU”). And, of course, the present leader of country got support and been offered as a candidate by “UzLiDeP”.

 

During this year there were several version of contour   in Uzbekistan.  It been discussed on such Russian and Central Asian websites as www.cimera.org , www.eurasianet.org , www.ferghana.ru , www.svoboda.org. Some of them wrote about succession of the authority meaning the daughter of president. Another discussed an opposition which should be come out on the first plan now. The third sources were talking about the lifelong domination of Islam Karimov. The situation is becoming clearer now. Mr. Islam Karimov is not going to leave and, moreover, he has been brought forward by liberal-democratic party.

 

But where is the law?! By the Constitution of Uzbekistan, the president can rule by country two presidential terms maximum. In 2002 there was an amendment made in the Constitution regarding the extension of term of authority conferred by office to 7 years. Karimov rules the country since 1991 and to become president again he needs to break the main law. Is he going to find the way to do that and if yes what’s going to be the reaction of general public. The next term of the governance can cause the plash of discontent among population, because the economic condition goes downhill and at the end it can destabilize the situation.

 

 

The other hope is on multiparty system presented by 5 parties, but there is paradox! If you compare the programmes of these parties you will find out they do not differ from each other. From the one side the government of Uzbekistan shows that the democratic principle of multiparty system is working and the elections will be hold honestly and publicly. From the other side, who and what should people vote for?

 

Uzbekistan is one of the most strategically, politically and economically important state in Central Asia and the development depends on the government which rules the country. So, the elections are ahead… And, I am sure, people will vote, they will do the best to get the best results.