TASHKENT: The constitutional referendum held in Uzbekistan on Sunday saw a high turnout of over 81.94% in all major regions of the country. According to officials, the number of people at the polling stations remained consistently high throughout the day.
The referendum, which began at 08.00, aimed to reform the Constitution of the Republic and was monitored by the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Uzbekistan.
Addressing a press conference in Tashkent, the Chairman of the CEC, Zayniddin Nizomxodjayev, said that the citizens of Uzbekistan had cast their votes in large numbers since the early hours of polling.
The Deputy Chairman of the CEC, Kuchkarov Baxrom, also stated that voting remained above 81.94% throughout the day, with 15.8 million citizens having voted out of a total of 19.7 million registered voters by 5 pm.
Uzbek referendum in full compliance with legal norms, international standards
Baxrom added that the referendum had been held in full compliance with legal norms and international standards, with the Central Election Commission monitoring the process to ensure fairness and transparency.
He also noted that an Information Center had been established to provide up-to-date information on the referendum process, and that citizens could contact this center with any appeals on referendum issues.
The referendum was held by free and secret ballot, and control of the voters’ expression of will was not allowed.
According to the law, every citizen of Uzbekistan has equal voting rights, and the Precinct Referendum Commissions organized voting at the place of residence of citizens entitled to vote who could not come to the polling station due to health or other reasons.
The final decision on the referendum’s validity will be made on the basis of the results of the vote, as per the official sources.
The Central Election Commission will declare the current referendum valid based on the current figures, according to Baxrom, who also clarified that a single appeal goes unprocessed.
The high turnout in the Uzbek Constitutional Referendum is seen as an encouraging sign for the country’s democratic process, and officials have expressed their gratitude to citizens for their participation in the voting process.
