TASHKENT: Uzbekistan’s parliamentary elections are reportedly proceeding smoothly as a strong turnout was witnessed at polling stations.
Kobil Ayubov, an observer from the Social Democratic Party “Adolat,” described the voting atmosphere as positive and unified. “Citizens have been coming to cast their ballots since early morning,” he noted, adding that the process is running transparently and without incident.
Polling stations across Uzbekistan opened at 8:00 a.m. (GMT+5) and will remain open until 8:00 p.m., with preliminary results expected by October 28. This election will decide deputies for the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament) and members of local councils (Kengashes).
Uzbekistan’s 19.9 million eligible voters are electing 150 parliamentary seats, half by direct vote in single-mandate constituencies and the other half through proportional representation based on party lists.
The election marks a notable shift with its adoption of the fully digitized “E-Saylov” system, a modern initiative aimed at facilitating a more efficient and secure election process. The system reflects Uzbekistan’s recent constitutional updates and electoral reforms.
As of 3:00 p.m. (GMT+5), voter turnout had reached 62.7 percent, according to Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Bakhrom Kuchkarov. He announced at a CEC briefing that approximately 12.5 million voters had already cast their ballots by that time.
The elections feature five participating political parties: the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Party “Milliy Tiklanish,” Ecological Party, People’s Democratic Party, and Social Democratic Party “Adolat.” Each party aims to secure seats in the Legislative Chamber under the updated mixed electoral system.
The election is also being closely monitored by over 850 international observers, including missions from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
