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Uzbekistan’s Constitutional Referendum 2023:  A new Uzbekistan & a Change in Regional Policy

The last preparations before the referendum on amendments to the Constitution of Uzbekistan are being held in Tashkent on Saturday    

By: Tahir Farooq

Tashkent: (PEN): The Republic of Uzbekistan is set to adopt a new constitution through a referendum, which is going to be held  on Sunday, April 30.

Foreign observers are showing great interest in the referendum on the new version of the Constitution of Uzbekistan and reached Uzbekistan on invitation of CEC, to cover the referendum day on Sunday.

The latest ballot introducing the new constitution will usher in a “New Uzbekistan” and to be fair, the new text looks positive. It would guarantee equal rights for men and women. It would give citizens the right to appeal to the constitutional court and prohibit the death penalty.

The updated constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, draft of which was highly observed by international observers, covers issues directed to ease the ecological threats. The number of articles in it has increased to 155, it was 128 before, and the number of norms has risen from 275 to 434. The text of Basic law is proposed to chnage 65% and updated as suggested by the people of Uzbekistan. The primary objective of these modernization efforts has been to incorporate Uzbekistan into the global economic system.

The renewed constitution also declares Uzbekistan a “social state” with increased welfare obligations, establishes greater personal legal protection, women rights, civil society, freedom of speech, equal rights for all crucial and more democratic and economic developments in the country as well as region.

The updated Basic Law is intended to consolidate the country’s strategic course for further reform of society and the state, which has had a positive impact on its foreign policy, primarily in the Central Asia region.

The system of biometric identification of citizens will be used for the first time in a referendum on amendments to the Constitution of Uzbekistan. This was announced on Saturday by the chairman of the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan, Zainiddin Nizamkhojaev.

“At the referendum on the new Constitution of Uzbekistan, at some polling stations in Tashkent, for the first time, a system of biometric identification of citizens who voted in the referendum will be used,” he said at a press conference.

Electronic Billboards on roads, flags and posters on polling stations can be seen urging citizens to use their right to vote in favor or against the refrendum.

The last preparations before the referendum on amendments to the Constitution of Uzbekistan are being held in Tashkent on Saturday. The polling stations are open. Local & foreign observers can follow the voting process. The transparency of the referendum is also ensured by the cameras equipped at the polling station, with the help of which the voting can be monitored online.

In an investment conferrence on Thursday, President Mirziyoyev  told “The new constitution is defining Uzbekistan as a sovereign, democratic, rule-of-law, social and secular state. All changes are based on the idea that human rights and freedoms are paramount. Also, for the first time, provision of a favorable investment and business environment was established in the constitution.”

In 2016, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev declared Central Asia the main priority of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy. The preamble of the new draft constitution notes “Uzbekistan’s desire to strengthen and develop friendly relations with the world community, primarily with neighboring states, on the basis of cooperation, mutual support, peace and harmony.”

Later in June 2018, the U.N. General Assembly adopted the resolution “Strengthening regional and international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region” on the initiative of Mirziyoyev. He noted at the time, “Our main goal is to jointly transform Central Asia into a stable, economically developed and prosperous region.”

Uzbekistan has started creating border trade and economic zones with almost all countries of the region. The intraregional trade has doubled over the past five years. In 1991, the total gross domestic product of these countries was about $46 billion, which increased by $75 billion to over $358 billion.

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