A WEB

Debriefing Remarks

Dec. 05, 2016

H.E. Kim YongHi, Secretary General, A-WEB (Association of World Election Bodies)

There is a clear distinction in the objective of A-WEB’s Election Visitor Program from that of other organization’s observation in that, the latter places importance on monitoring and inspecting the electoral process while A-WEB intends to share knowledge and practices amongst member organizations. This is because A-WEB looks to establish an environment where member organizations work together by learning from each other and by taking advantage of the extensive amount of experiences rather than criticizing the process.

Prior to visiting Uzbekistan, I was quite curious about the electoral process due to the long sovereignty of the previous President. However, during my participation in the conference: “Constitutional & Legal Fundamentals of Head of the State Elections: Experience of Uzbekistan & Developed Democratic Countries,” I noticed that scholars, officials, and civil societies were able to speak freely & openly on the value and progression of elections and democracy in Uzbekistan. My curiosity on the fairness of the election was well addressed due to the efficiency of the CEC in preparing for the elections.

The day before the election, I visited Tashkent DEC and two PECs in Tashkent and saw how they’ve prepared for the elections. I noticed the strong will of the commission members to prevent the practice known as ‘family voting,’ which some colleagues from the West may have been concerned as the concept of “one man, one vote” is one of the main principles of democracy. I saw that the officers of the polling stations were well aware that proxy voting is not permitted by law.

On the Election day, we visited one polling station in Tashkent and three in Bukhara. The polling stations were well organized and very orderly. They had a sufficient number of voter identification desks, which reduced queuing time even if many voters came at once. I was able to conclude that the CEC has managed the election procedures in a realistic and effective way.

When it comes to the voters’ list, in particular, I have been told that the list had been announced fifteen days prior to the election day and could be revised upon request. I was not able to check the correctness of the list personally, However, I found that the CEC has had a capacity to manage the voters’ list in a proper manner and I was also able to confirm the electoral system of Uzbekistan abides by the legal framework.

In Bukhara, I observed the counting of the vote at one PEC and I did not find any kind of violation of the electoral law and no complaints were made. The members of the PEC were experienced and had sufficient knowledge of the electoral processes.

At the observation of counting in one polling station I saw the one candidate obtained most of the votes, which was to be expected.

As such, I came to the conclusion that election stake holders, including local volunteers have not had any reason to violate the election law.

Democracies and election systems of each country have developed according to its historical, political, economical, and even cultural background. It is imperative that observers not have any prejudice and not stereotype while monitoring other countries’ elections. Before criticizing an electoral process or practices, observers need to clearly understand the legal framework, political environment, the development stages of election policies and institutions, and the public sentiments at the political circle.

In conclusion, as far as I observed, there occurs no violation of laws and regulations in the electoral processes in the polling stations I visited.//end//