Uzbekistan: Next few years "vital" for country on its "post-Soviet journey" (original) (raw)
It isn’t only the United States where elections are keenly awaited.
While the upcoming poll in America seems to grip most of the world, there are important elections also taking place elsewhere.
One such election is in little heard-reported Uzbekistan whose parliamentary poll comes ahead of the U.S one.
Its legislative elections, scheduled for October 27, are arguably more important than ever as they are seen as being a key test of how far the country has travelled thus far on its post-Soviet journey.
It is worth recounting that it is only very recently, since Shavkat Mirziyoyev assumed the presidency in 2106, that this huge, landlocked nation has truly started to free itself from its Soviet past.
The result has been a wave of radical reforms designed to tackle a whole range of pressing issues and propel the country into the 21st century.
The issue is the subject of a major conference, called “Uzbekistan 2024 parliamentary elections – On the road to a democratic future”, in Brussels this week (26 September).The event is co organised by the Center for the Analysis of Democratic Processes.
The elections, therefore, are a particularly timely opportunity to take stock of just how much progress has actually been made in the last decade or so – and what still needs to be done for it to be regarded as a fully-fledged and functioning democracy.
One person well placed to deliver such a verdict is Eleanor Kramers, Managing Director of Montfort Eurasia.
Kramers has been based in Tashkent for over three years and was one of the first British business people to take the jump to Uzbekistan.
Speaking to this website, she recalls that, n 2017, Uzbekistan launched a major reform agenda for societal and economic transformation “breaking from its past as a largely state-led and isolated economy.”
She says that areas of reform included the cessation of forced and child labor, reduction of state dominance in the economy, creation of sustainable jobs in agriculture and other sectors, and advancing gender and disability rights.
She says, “The reform agenda has been impressive, and has made a huge difference to millions of lives in a short time. By freeing up private business and encouraging foreign investment the country is seeing rapid growth year on year. This, combined with improvement in education, healthcare, gender equality, across all regions, will only make these initiatives mostly sustainable and Uzbekistan more resilient for years to come.
“The next few years will be crucial as the country seeks WTO accession and looks to privatise many of its prized national state owned enterprises. Both will be made possible as the country embraces internationally recognised standards of governance and financial management, that will improve transparency and efficiency.
“Uzbekistan is on a strong trajectory of growth, and will see this continue as it meets its commitments on privatisation, contributes reforms, for the good of the economy and the country as a whole.”
No less an entity than The World Bank has also delivered a not dissimilar upbeat assessment on recent progress made by Uzbekistan when it comes to implementing its reform agenda.
It says that Uzbekistan embarked on “sweeping reforms2 in 2017, which, says the World Bank, “marked a significant pivot from a centrally planned, state-driven economy toward a sustainable and inclusive market economy.”
A World Bank source said, “The World Bank has been a key supporter of Uzbekistan’s reform agenda.”
Reforms facilitated by the current regime have, it notes, included the “milestone” of eradicating forced and child labor, which used to annually involve over two million children and adults.
Uzbekistan, according to the World Bank, also has moved toward greater inclusion, criminalizing gender-based violence and expanding women’s rights, while also eliminating restrictive internal mobility controls.
“The reforms,” it believes, “have yielded significant results.”
The Washington-based institution says the country has also made “significant moves” on boosting inclusivity, including by eliminating internal mobility restrictions, advancing disability rights, and expanding women’s rights and protections as well as addressing issues such as equal pay, maternity leave, and gender-based violence.
Key reforms have also been introduced for the upcoming elections. These include quotas for women, who should number at least 40% of the candidates nominated from a political party in single-mandate constituencies, while on the party list, at least two out of every five sequential candidates must be women.
While it has major concerns about issues such as human rights, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) says Uzbekistan is a “close and important partner” for ODIHR as an Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) country.
The ODIHR is among those which expect to have an election observation mission in Uzbekistan to oversee the fairness and impartiality of next month’s parliamentary elections.
Aside from politics, business reforms in Uzbekistan are seen as having enabled the country’s leading companies to access international financing opportunities and explore foreign markets.
This was evidenced most recently when KFA Aluminum LLC (Akfa), one of the largest private industrial companies in Uzbekistan, received a first-time S&P Global rating of B+/B with a “stable outlook.”
Progress is also continuing on the trade front, a crucially important window of opportunity for the country.
For instance, trade between the EU and Uzbekistan is booming, making Europe an important export diversification partner for Uzbekistan. Trade turnover between Uzbekistan and the European Union stood at $3.9 billion in 2021 and this increased by 15 percent the next year, rising to €4.5 bn in 2002.
Despite undoubted improvements across a range of areas, some serious concerns do persist, not least in the sphere of human rights and the rule of law.
On this Mihra Rittmann, senior Central Asia researcher at the respected Human Rights Watch, told this website, “There is a lot of talk of Uzbekistan’s reform agenda, but the increasing number of activists, bloggers, and government critics being prosecuted – and imprisoned – on unfounded criminal charges speaks for itself while promised legal reforms have stalled.”
Similar issues were voiced by Members of the European Parliament when, last October, they adopted a resolution on Uzbekistan expressing concern about constitutional provisions allowing the president to extend his time in office and Uzbekistan’s “poor” human rights record.
That came very soon after United States President Joe Biden met with President Mirziyoyev on the side lines of the UN General Assembly during the first US-Central Asia presidential summit on 19 September. Noticeably, President Biden did not prominently raise rights concerns.
On November 8, Uzbekistan appeared before the UN Human Rights Council for its fourth Universal Periodic Review. States recommended that the Uzbekistan government address impunity for torture, ensure NGOs and journalists can work without harassment, and address alleged violations of LGBT rights in law and practice, among other actions.
Turning to the elections next month,Nizamkhodjaev Zayniddin, chairman of the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan (CECCEC), notes their importance in garnering public confidence in democratic processes.
He says, “Today, our citizens are not only witnesses of major transformations, but also active participants in transformation processes through genuine representation of the interests of citizens and civil society institutions.”
The election represents the first time since 2019 that parliamentarians have had to seek a new mandate from voters and the first since the 2023 constitutional referendum.
Public interest in the election is expected to be higher than in the past, because the legislature is no longer a rubber stamp, but rather a strengthened political force that executes significant checks and balances on the Presidency and the judiciary.
While a post-Soviet legacy still weighs heavily on the country, many agree that real progress has been made and voters – long excluded from political decision-making – now have the chance to give their verdict.
Martin Banks, aged 63, is an experienced British-born journalist who has been covering the EU beat (and much else besides) in Brussels since 2001.Previously, he had worked for many years in regional journalism in the UK, including as chief reporter at his last paper there, and freelanced for national titles for several years, notably the Daily Telegraph. He has a keen interest in foreign affairs/geo-politics and has closely followed the workings of the European Parliament and MEPs in particular for many years. He has built up, since arriving in Brussels in 2001, a wide and reliable network of contacts, not just in politics but across the spectrum. He's also experienced in subbing, proofing, commissioning and editing and has also had stints on news desks.