Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov, met October 6 with OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan John MacGregor.

The head of Uzbekistan’s CEC briefed the OSCE official on the works carried out by the central and district electoral commissions along the implementation of the Program of Major Activities on preparation and holding of elections of President of Uzbekistan due December 4.

It was stated during the meeting that the cooperation between Uzbekistan’s Central Election Commission and the OSCE has been progressing fruitfully. In the framework of the joint project “Assistance in the perfection of electoral practice in the Republic of Uzbekistan”, the Office of the OSCE Project Coordinator in Tashkent was actively involved in organizing and conducting international events, conferences and seminars in our country on various aspects of democratization of the electoral practices. They were attended by experts from OSCE member states, including those of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Representatives of the Uzbek CEC had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with electoral practices in Spain, France, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and in particular examine the international expertise in creating and running a single electronic register of voters.

It was noted that the OSCE/ODIHR observers have many times participated in monitoring the preparations and conduct of parliamentary and presidential elections in Uzbekistan. This time around, the ODIHR has decided to send a mission to assess the needs in the period from 11 to 14 October 2016.

The meeting served for the two sides to productively exchange views on issues of shared interest, including those pertaining to the consolidation of bilateral cooperation.