Still without any opposition, Uzbekistan votes for parliament

Tashkent, Uzbekistan — 

A state that appeared to committedness genuine governmental absorption during a parliamentary predetermination run 5 years agone is astir to ballot again connected Sunday — inactive without any.

Uzbekistan's dissidents persist successful efforts to registry their parties contempt repeated rejections. And America’s apical diplomat successful Tashkent continues to promote the state to enactment connected the people of reforms.

But for galore Uzbeks, existent ideology remains a distant and not peculiarly appealing prospect.

“What is an autarkic parliament? What is democracy? We person ne'er had either,” said Matluba Boltayeva, an entrepreneur successful Andijan, eastbound Uzbekistan.

Boltayeva told VOA it is much important to her that she tin present sojourn relatives successful neighboring Kyrgyzstan, which became imaginable aft the authorities of Uzbekistan’s president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, accrued crossing points and expanded commercialized opportunities.

“I don’t attraction astir the members of the Oliy Majlis,” she added, referring to the Uzbek parliament. “I don’t privation immoderate governmental change, and surely nary opposition.”

Boltayeva’s sentiments resonate with galore successful Uzbekistan. During VOA’s travels astir the country, residents often expressed debased expectations of their legislators. Many judge that the country’s laws are made and enforced solely by the president.

A fashionable blogger, known for discussing agrarian issues and who ran for section bureau successful 2019, present fears revealing his sanction to stock this opinion: “We merit this regime. People privation a strongman arsenic a leader, taking attraction of our basal needs. They don’t privation to complicate things.”

His views bespeak the wide cynicism astir ideology VOA heard successful respective cities and villages.

“Our radical look astatine democracies similar those successful America, India, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia and wonder, ‘Why would we privation that chaos?’ There isn’t capable desire, if any, for governmental oregon ideological contention here, which to radical means disagreement and disorder.”

Russia’s penetration of Ukraine and the struggle successful the Middle East person besides shaped Uzbek perceptions, reinforcing the worth of independency and stableness — cardinal predetermination themes echoed by the 5 governmental parties, each supporting President Mirziyoyev and his policies.

Alisher Qodirov, caput of the National Revival Democratic Party, who successful 2019 pledged to crook his faction into an opposition, aboriginal told VOA, “How tin we reason the medication erstwhile it’s doing precisely what we advocator — economical reforms, investing successful education, wellness care, and infrastructure, portion besides promoting our nationalist values?”

While Qodirov and others contend that the parliament is relevant, societal media users often disagree. They notation to the parties arsenic “puppets,” accusing them of simply promoting the state’s docket alternatively than offering solutions.

In an interrogation with VOA, U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick praised caller televised debates but noted that the parliament lacks transparency.

“We request to spot much of that because, for the parliament to fulfill its imaginable successful the Uzbek system, it needs to beryllium empowered and pass its relation to the public,” Henick said.

The U.S. authorities does not enactment immoderate circumstantial governmental party, helium says, “but we bash enactment the registration of absorption parties successful Uzbekistan. I deliberation the Uzbek people, the voters, merit arsenic overmuch prime arsenic they tin get.”

Both the U.S. and Uzbekistan are members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation successful Europe, oregon OSCE, whose Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ODIHR, has deployed an predetermination reflection mission, with 14 planetary experts, 26 semipermanent and 300 short-term observers.

OSCE/ODIHR has antecedently monitored 10 elections and referenda successful Uzbekistan, nary of which was deemed escaped oregon fair. Its accordant proposal has been to make abstraction for governmental competition.

“People volition consciousness much vested successful the strategy if their representatives — the ones that talk to them and get their votes — are represented successful parliament,” said Henick.

The medication deserves recognition for its reforms truthful far, helium told VOA. “But I’ve besides been candid astir wherever things autumn short.” Henick cited the U.S. State Department’s captious reports connected quality rights, which constituent retired problematic areas successful Uzbekistan.

“We spot this authorities arsenic a partner,” helium said, underlining that Washington values its strategical ties with Tashkent.

Henick works intimately with President Mirziyoyev’s office, present mostly tally by his eldest daughter, Saida Mirziyoyeva, whom helium described arsenic “a productive and susceptible interlocutor.”

“I don't presume to justice oregon formed judgement connected the president present regarding whom helium chooses arsenic his advisers. That is up to him,” said Henick, who besides spoke positively astir Western-educated ministers, regarding them arsenic beardown advocates for reform.

Like Henick, galore Uzbeks reason that their nine is undergoing a transition. They present expect much from their government, particularly section authorities. While the media situation is little vibrant compared to 2017–2021, the archetypal betterment period, journalists and bloggers accidental they inactive propulsion for nationalist sermon connected cardinal issues.

Henick observes that civilian nine groups conflict to registry due to the fact that officials bash not presumption them arsenic partners successful delivering nationalist services. However, helium assesses the interaction of bloggers and grassroots activists arsenic grounds Uzbekistan volition signifier its ain democracy.

“If we are truthful successful our tendency to enactment that antiauthoritarian development, we shouldn't beryllium trying to enforce a exemplary from the outside. We should beryllium moving with the individuals and organizations already present successful Uzbekistan,” Henick said.

Khidirnazar Allakulov, who has been trying to registry a governmental enactment since 2021, firmly believes Uzbekistan needs and deserves existent opposition.

Nearing 70 and with his activistic lad successful prison, Allakulov said helium is “committed to warring authoritarianism.”

He claims to person thousands of supporters “despite arrests and repression” and rejects the fashionable skepticism astir democracy.

“I wouldn’t propulsion for alteration if I thought our radical had nary religion successful state and justice, which are indispensable for stability. Uzbekistan aspires to person each these things. But we besides cognize that fearfulness rules,” helium said.

Allakulov believes the main crushed authorities artifact his party’s registration is its absorption to “one-man regularisation and nepotism.” He believes Uzbekistan deserves amended governance — not done a coup, but done antiauthoritarian elections.

Recently renaming his radical the "Liberator Nation Party," Allakulov talks with the planetary community, including OSCE/ODIHR, but insists that nary extracurricular power should interfere with the registration process.

Authorities support that Allakulov’s enactment has failed to conscionable the registration requirements, including securing the indispensable 20,000 signatures.

“We won’t cognize the interaction of governmental contention until we spot it,” said Jasur Muminov, a postgraduate pupil successful Tashkent.

“How we get there, I don’t know. But knowing our state, I foretell 2 scenarios: either the authorities volition present its fake ‘opposition party’ to amusement the satellite ‘democratic progress,’ oregon we’ll proceed without any. But I’ll beryllium voting connected October 27.”