On February 9, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyev signed the law, providing for the transfer of elections of the head of state from December to October. Thus, in 2021, the election campaign will be held under the new term and on the new rules. In particular, now living abroad citizens will be able to vote regardless of their consular accounting and using portable electoral urns. As Mirziyev noted, the upcoming elections should demonstrate the "steady growth of political and legal culture" in the republic. What this costs and what intrigues will unfold on the political field of Uzbekistan this year, analyzed the independent researcher Bakhtiir Alimjanov.
Transferring presidential elections
In 2021, the presidential elections in Uzbekistan will take place on the first Sunday of the third decade of October - the transfer of the voting day approved on Tuesday the President of the Republic of Shavkat Mirziyev. The decision was made after the next meeting of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis, which took place on January 25, 2021. On it, the deputies considered in the first reading the draft law "On Amendments to Amendments and Additions to Some Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in connection with the improvement of electoral laws".As noted, in accordance with the applicable legislation, the election of the president, elections to the legislative chamber of Oliy Majlis and local representative bodies are held on the first Sunday of the third decade of December in the year of their constitutional term. This leads to a delay in holding post-election political measures, in particular, the adoption of the state program. How these procedural changes are related to the presidential elections, deputies, unfortunately, did not explain.
According to the laws of the Republic of the presidential candidates, only political parties can be put forward. In January 2021, the special activity of President Mirziyev was noted, which gives us a reason to talk about preparing for the presidential race. Considering that 2021 is only beginning, the expert community and in political circles is shedding, this year will be rich in political events. As far as these expectations are justified, we will understand below.
Uzbek Zelensky
On January 20, 2021, video was spread on social networks, where a former well-known Uzbek singer stated that she intends to run into the pheets. According to him, the record was made in Turkey during the rest. It is known that Jahongir Tazzonov comes from the famous family of Khorezmian singers and last year announced the completion of a career for religious reasons.
Interestingly, government circles did not respond to his statements. On January 22, the former artist appealed to the President of Uzbekistan, asking, appoint him to Hokim, the governor) of the most lagging area. Otazonov noted that in this way he wants to show the seriousness of his intentions. Also, the singer stated that he did not want to compete with the current president of the country, but he plans to continue the cases began.
That is, he presents himself not to a competitor, but the "continuer of the case" of the current president.
On January 26, the Optores visited the Ministry of Justice for the State Registration of the New Democratic Party "The Interests of the People". So far, his appeal is studied in the Ministry of Justice. According to the law, this party must support and sign at least 20 thousand people. It should be noted that the actions of the OGAZONOV would be impossible at the late Islam Karimov. With Mirziyev, there was some political transformation of the elite, which may affect the course of the presidential race.
Path to new political traditions?
Former, the presidential elections on the law should have been held in the third decade of December, but will now be held in October. What explains the shift of the date is still unknown. One thing is known: Mirzieev tries to abandon the political traditions of Karimov. Refusal to Karimov Residences, Liberalization of the economy, the fight against the Silovikov's dominance, good-neighborly relations with neighbors, the restoration of memory of the Great Patriotic War and so on - all the shares of the president are aimed at building their own internal and foreign policy, radically different from the Karimov era.Based on this logic, new faces will appear with new parties, which against the background of the properrement parties will look more "progressive".
The main "trump card" of Mirziyev President in the upcoming elections - to the maximum demonstrate its difference from Karimov and the elections of 2016. Then the presidential election strongly resembled the Ritual of the Preconsession, and there were no real political competitors. However, the figure of Okazonov as a policy is very shaky, it cannot really create competition to the current president.
The main electorate of Uzbekistan are Muslim-Sunni. It is clear that the struggle will be for their voices and sympathy, but no need to forget that the Mirziyev team does everything possible in order not to lose both Muslim-Orthodox voices. In public speeches, Mirziyev makes reverents towards the conservatives. Even a new ideological concept, the "third Renaissance" causes a living response from the Muslim intelligentsia, giving it hope that in the near future, secular humanitarian sciences in Uzbekistan will be treated on the basis of Islamic values and concepts.
In the current president, the prevailing advantage over his "rivals" put forward by political parties, and it is hardly an "black swan" elections-2021. It is also unlikely that someone will require the revision of the presidential election. On demonstrations and speeches in favor of Ontazonov, it is useless to speak. Mirziyev with a high probability will receive all the support and approval of all segments of the population. The Belarusian and Kyrgyz versions of post-collecting revisions in Uzbekistan are not foreseen and unlikely.
Training in front of the presidential race
January 2021 in the political life of the country was quite dense and significant for President Mirziyev. The President managed to speak in all the problems of the country: about corruption during a visit to the Bukhara region; On state ideology and historical science in speaking of January 19; On the problems of young people on January 27, where he proposed to implement the project "100 ideas for Uzbekistan"; About problems in the infrastructure of the city of Tashkent and the introduction of the experience of the capital in the regions.
But, despite all the abundance of Mirziyev speeches in the media and before the asset of district and regional deputies, we cannot clearly present the future contours of the presidential race.
One thing is clear: the current president will benefit this race with a big advantage. This fact is indisputable in the eyes of the population and most experts. It is unclear: whether the current president and his team will be able to move away from the political tradition of the election of the Karimov era? Is the PAZDAK person's "worthy" political figure so that the elections do not turn into an open farce? What will be the course in 2021-2025? We hope that in the near future we will receive answers to these questions.
Alimjanov Bakhtiir, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Independent researcher (Tashkent-Saint-Petersburg)