U.S. ELECTIONS ENTHRALL YOUNG UZBEK AUDIENCE

UNCLAS TASHKENT 001284 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV UZ SUBJECT: U.S. ELECTIONS ENTHRALL YOUNG UZBEK AUDIENCE ¶1. (SBU) An embassy-hosted event to watch the election returns the early morning of November 5 was exceptionally well-attended by an enthusiastic and predominantly young Uzbek crowd of approximately 350. Participants were able to cast mock ballots, get brochures and information about the electoral process in the U.S., and watch live coverage on projection screens. An already excited audience broke into applause as the networks called the election of America's 44th President. ¶2. (SBU) The lone Government of Uzbekistan Ministry official present at the event (despite many having been invited) was the head of the Americas Office of the MFA, Takhir Mamadjanov, who appeared interested and surprised by the enthusiasm among the young people in the room. Celebrating genuine democracy, of course, is not among the GOU's priorities, so the absence of Tashkent's officialdom was hardly surprising. However, the significance of the event was not lost on the young Uzbeks in the room. Watching history in the making, they were able to witness an election unfold whose outcome was determined by a people, not by a government. 3 (SBU) This message is not lost on the GOU either, which has not yet been able to figure out how it wishes to report on the U.S. elections (despite the fact that the entire population already knows about it and likely watched reports on Russian television). Several Embassy press contacts said that, although present at our event, they would not be able to run their stories. Following reports on reforms in the state railways, the visit of the mayor of Rio de Janeiro and the President of Bulgaria, and flooding in China, Uzbek state television had a 15 second piece announcing that Barack Obama won the U.S. election. Major government-owned dailies made no mention of the election in their November 6 editions. Several weeklies did run short, matter of fact reports, as well as a couple of internet publications, but considering the importance of the event, very little has thus far been written or said in Uzbekistan. ¶4. (SBU) Likewise, there has been no formal official word from the GOU. President Karimov offered a quiet "congratulations" to the Ambassador today in a receiving line for visiting Bulgarian President Parvanov. Foreign Minister Norov, present at the same event, was silent. ¶5. (SBU) It is difficult to divine what the Uzbek government thinks about our election. As a demonstration of the vibrancy and vitality of democracy that has generated excitement around the world, including in Uzbekistan, they could find it threatening, fearful that their own citizens will become emboldened and impatient with the glacial pace of change in this country. At the same time, they are very likely beginning to ponder what this election will mean for their relationship with us. Our election was an example of the strength of our democratic traditions, giving our lone GOU guest every reason to report back to his superiors that U.S. policies promoting freedom in Uzbekistan are not going away any time soon. NORLAND