UZBEKISTAN HOSTS CONFERENCE ON ELECTIONS AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001259 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI PHUM UZ SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN HOSTS CONFERENCE ON ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL CULTURE Classified By: Poloff Steven Prohaska for reasons 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (C) Summary: On October 15-16, Uzbekistan's Foundation for Regional Policy (FRP)--an "NGO" with close ties to the Presidential Apparat--hosted an international roundtable entitled "Elections to Representative Bodies and Issues of Increasing the Political Culture of the Electorate" in Tashkent. GOU officials expressed the standard refrain that Uzbekistan has made significant progress in democratic development, holding fair elections, and forming civil society. In addition to Uzbekistan's stated interest in learning about democracy in other countries, the Government of Uzbekistan seeks legitimacy that would accrue from international recognition of trappings of a democratic government. In fact, exposure to democratic ideals in roundtables such as this one, which provide comparative examples, may help to shape Uzbekistan's political development down the road. Nevertheless, judging from the GOU's remarks as well as the history of its interaction with us, it appears that if Uzbekistan does decide to pursue meaningful political reforms, it will do so on its own terms and at a slow pace. End summary. ¶2. (C) On October 15-16, Uzbekistan's Foundation for Regional Policy (FRP)--an academically-oriented "NGO" with ties to the Presidential Apparat--hosted an international roundtable entitled "Elections to Representative Bodies and Issues of Increasing the Political Culture of the Electorate" in Tashkent. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the National Democratic Institute, and USAID co-sponsored the conference, which was well-attended by Government of Uzbekistan (GOU) officials, foreign diplomats, and academics. Several academics discussed issues such as broadening participation in the democratic process, civil society, and voter turnout, while representatives of foreign governments described the development of democracy in countries including Great Britain, Japan, and India. History of Political Reform in Uzbekistan -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Mirboboev claimed that Uzbekistan's Constitution and laws protect the people's rights, and divided the history of Uzbekistan's political reforms into two stages: during the first phase, between 1991 and 2000, Uzbekistan adopted a Constitution and created a legal basis for elections. The second stage, from 2001 until the present, witnessed "further perfection of democratic development and modernization" as well as "the transition from a strong state to a strong civil society" and the development of the two-chamber Oliy Majlis, or Parliament. Mirboboev asserted that the provisions of Uzbekistan's Constitution, which correspond to internationally accepted norms, are founded on democratic principles. ¶4. (SBU) Kiyomiddin Nazarov, the Deputy Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (LDPU) and Rector of the Academy of State and Social Construction Under the President of Uzbekistan, called elections a driver in democratic development. He described the process in Uzbekistan as proceeding gradually and "step by step," and that reforms in Uzbekistan are being implemented with an eye toward the benefit of citizens themselves and the future of the country. Receptive to Learning About Other Countries' Experiences -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Nazarov expressed interest in learning about the experiences of other countries with a history of democratic development, noting that these examples would be valuable to Uzbekistan. Nazarov said that the development of the LDPU had been shaped by learning from the experiences of other countries and other parties, and cited the party's recent creation of women's and youth wings. ¶6. (SBU) Shafoat Nurullaeva, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies Under the President of Uzbekistan, also spoke highly of learning from the experiences of other countries. Nurullaeva was especially grateful for a June OSCE-sponsored workshop in Vienna, citing the exchange of ideas and contradictory opinions as valuable in informing Uzbekistan's judgments and helping to pave the way to further reform in Uzbekistan. ¶7. (SBU) Ziyodullo Ubaydullaev, a member of Uzbekistan's Legislative Chamber Committee on International and Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, spoke favorably about the interaction between Uzbekistan's parliament and the parliaments of other countries, noting that Uzbekistan is learning from the experiences of foreign countries. ¶8. (SBU) Bakhodir Ismoilov, an official from the Institute of Monitoring of Legislation Under the President of Uzbekistan, also said that Uzbekistan should take into account the experiences of other countries. He cited Uzbekistan's gradual introduction of international standards into national legislation, which he noted incorporate basic United Nations principles. No Single Model for Democracy -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Nazarov then spoke against the idea of having a single model for democracy, arguing that each country should pursue its own course. Change in Uzbekistan should be gradual and take place "step by step." "Uzbekistan has selected the right course in accordance with international standards, but there is still much to do and it will be a long journey," he continued. Other Uzbek participants echoed similar statements on the value of gradual change suited to a country's particular traditions. ¶10. (C) Speaking on behalf of Uzbekistan's Director of the Institute of Monitoring of Legislation Shuhrat Fayziev, Rahimjon Hakimov argued that the presidential elections in December 2007 "fully complied with democratic principles" and described them as "in compliance with international standards." (Comment: Despite these claims, we agree with OSCE's statement from December that these did not meet most norms for free and fair elections. End comment.) Constructive Criticism is OK... -------------- ¶11. (C) Ziyodullo Ubaydullaev, a member of Uzbekistan's Legislative Chamber Committee on International and Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, signaled that criticism of Uzbekistan is acceptable as long as it is "fair and substantiated." In a similar vein, Uzbek Senator Surayo Adilkhodjaeva, noting that democratization is an ongoing process, described constructive international criticism as useful and said that Uzbekistan would accept it as long as other countries avoided "double standards" on human rights. (Comment: The diplomats and academics present avoided any public criticism of conditions in Uzbekistan during the conference, however, perhaps aware of the GOU's preference for private criticism and tendency to lash out in response to critical comments. End comment.) Promoting Political Awareness and the Media -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Azizjon Yuldashev, Assistant in Uzbekistan's Secretariat of the Senate, said that the GOU is focusing on increasing the trust of the population in elected bodies and in raising the populace's political awareness in hopes of increasing political participation. Yuldashev cited examples of hokimiyats (mayor's and governor's offices) informing the public of government resolutions. ¶13. (SBU) National Press Center of Uzbekistan Director Fahriddin Nizomov said that the media's role should include promoting public awareness of elections, providing objective and equal coverage of candidates. Nizomov said that while a new political culture in Uzbekistan is arising, Uzbekistan's Soviet heritage has been a liability, and other countries such as India have been better positioned at independence to make the transition to democracy. ¶14. (SBU) Ismoil Saifnazarov, Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Chamber Committee on Information Issues and Communication Technologies, called information technology an important and developing part of Uzbekistan's economy. Internet use is on the rise, and as of September 1, Uzbekistan had more than 10 million cell phone users. Saifnazarov then said that there are pluses and minuses to information technology development, citing the danger of the populace being "misinformed." Saifnazarov called for greater sharing of reliable information on the part of the GOU, asserting that "we can't close all doors like in Soviet times." Mahallas and Debate Over the Role of NGOs -------------- ¶15. (SBU) Civil Society Institute Director Marufjon Usmanov noted that more than 10,000 mahallas (neighborhoods) are involved in elections and that NGOs have been playing a growing role as well. Usmanov described mahallas as non-partisan institutions reflecting the interests of different social groups. Nuriddin Ismoilov, Chairman of the Legislative Chamber Committee on Legislation and Judicial-Legal Issues, also praised mahallas as helping to increase political awareness, forming election districts, and in ensuring that elections are conducted appropriately. ¶16. (SBU) Legislative Deputy Igor Korenev, however, blasted NGOs as harmful to the democratic process. He argued that they can be "agents of influence," and that their role should be limited relative to that of political parties. "What good is it if an NGO is an agent of influence in Ukraine?" he asked, then alleged that agents of influence in Georgia had brought an "inadequate" politician to power. Korenev recommended that the role of NGOs in elections be strictly limited to election observing, including judging and assessing the openness of elections. He likened the active participation of NGOs in election campaigns to allowing foreign investments in political campaigns. Nurullaeva took exception to his comments, asserting that NGOs in Uzbekistan actively participate in elections and that Uzbekistan is in fact trying to increase the role of NGOs in society. (Comment: The argument over the role that NGOs should play in Uzbekistan may also reflect a misunderstanding on the part of some Uzbek officials regarding the definition of an NGO--Tursunov, for example, noted that the law considers political parties to be NGOs as well. End comment.) Comment: -------------- ¶17. (C) While we are skeptical of many of the GOU's claims about democratic development and the establishment of a strong civil society, exposure to democratic ideals in international roundtables such as this one, which provide comparative examples of democratization in other countries, may help to shape Uzbekistan's political development down the road. Uzbekistan appears at least more willing to entertain other ideas about political reform now. An OSCE representative told Poloff on the margins of the conference that Uzbekistan would not have participated in such a forum a few years ago. It is possible that some in the Government of Uzbekistan seek the legitimacy that international recognition of the trappings of democracy would give to the government. ¶18. (C) Some elements of the GOU continue to harbor mistrust toward Western institutions, and we suspect that the Government of Uzbekistan's desire to preserve control and ensure domestic stability are reasons behind Tashkent's frequent calls for slow, step-by-step reform. Elites in the Government of Uzbekistan probably hope to avoid reforms that would result in their ouster. Judging from the GOU's remarks, as well as the history of its interaction with us, it appears that if Uzbekistan decides to pursue meaningful political reforms, it will do so on its own terms and at a slow pace. ¶19. (SBU) The many Foundation for Regional Policy-sponsored conferences that have taken place over the past year provide us with access and additional windows into official views on a wide range of topics, from regional security to human rights and politics. Another FRP conference dedicated to renewable energy and food supply issues is slated for mid-November. FRP Director Sayfiddin Juraev has also told us he would like to co-sponsor an inter-faith dialogue on religious freedom. NORLAND