Uzbekistan: Officials Preview Parliamentary Changes,

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001455 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN AMEMBASSY ASTANA PASS TO USOFFICE ALMATY AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PASS TO AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/08/19 TAGS: PGOV PREL UZ SUBJECT: Uzbekistan: Officials Preview Parliamentary Changes, Describe New EcoMovement REF: TASHKENT 1496 CLASSIFIED BY: Steven Prohaska, Second Secretary, State, Pol-Econ; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Government of Uzbekistan, in collaboration with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), hosted a conference dedicated to parliamentary systems and political parties in Tashkent on July 1-2. GOU representatives responded favorably to presentations from a series of foreign countries on their own parliamentary systems, indicating that they were interested in studying these examples further and possibly taking on board aspects of these systems-but on a gradual, step-by-step basis. GOU representatives also described a number of planned changes to Uzbekistan's parliamentary system, which include an increase in the number of deputies from 120 to 150, the guaranteed provision of 15 seats to Uzbekistan's new EcoMovement, reforms to ease party registration, and legal changes that will permit criticism of the President. Time will tell whether these changes materialize and whether they will be more than cosmetic, but the GOU does appear interested in further political dialogue with other countries including the U.S. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) At an international conference in Tashkent intended to discuss the development of parliamentary systems, political parties, and elections on July 1-2, Government of Uzbekistan officials previewed a number of changes that will take place in Parliament after the December elections. Over the course of the conference, representatives from a variety of countries including South Korea, France, Germany, India, Japan and others discussed their respective parliamentary systems. GOU officials responded enthusiastically, noting that they can learn from other examples. Former presidential candidate Akmal Saidov called the forum a great opportunity to compare Uzbekistan's experiences with those of other countries. He argued that Uzbekistan's parliament meets international standards. An oft-repeated sentiment from the GOU during the conference was that Uzbekistan has pursued and should pursue reforms taking into account its own unique development and cultural history. Moreover, change should be gradual. Roles of Parties and Mahallas -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Karine Djavakova of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Internal Affairs Academy said that Uzbekistan's four political parties serve three main goals: first, representing the interests of certain constituencies; second, promoting change without violating the law; and third, helping politically active citizens to influence policy. She added that the parties have initiated the publication of 11 periodicals. Bekzod Ahmedov of the Institute for Strategic and Inter-Regional Studies under the President described the role of mahallas (neighborhood committees) in Uzbek politics, noting that over 10,000 mahallas actively participate in the election process. These mahallas will elect nominees-"the most suitable citizens"-to the Senate and are engaged in various activities to promote political and legal awareness among the populace, he continued. GOU Officials Hint at Future Changes, Show Interest in Comparative Politics -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Chairman of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis Nuriddinjon Ismailov declared that there will be structural changes in Uzbekistan's parliament, including an increase in the number of parliamentary deputies from 120 to 150, including 15 from the new EcoMovement. The remaining 135 seats will be apportioned among political parties. He added that Uzbekistan has dismantled "initiative groups" of electors, indicating that these had been formed while political parties were still being developed and were no longer needed. Ismailov also hinted that there will be changes in the status of Uzbekistan's opposition. Furthermore, the time necessary for party registration will decrease from six to four months and the number of signatures necessary for party registration will drop from 50,000 to 40,000. He noted that these changes had been made in line with recommendations from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. ¶5. (C) On the margins of this conference, a research officer named Rahim Rasuljonovich Hakimov who works at Uzbekistan's Institute of Monitoring of Acting Legislation under the President admitted to Poloff that none of Uzbekistan's political parties disagrees with President Karimov's policies. Hakimov noted, however, that a new law will enter into force in 2010 that will allow real opposition parties. Whereas in the past there had not been a "legal basis" for disagreements between parties and the President, this would change next year, he claimed. When questioned about details regarding the nature of this opposition, Hakimov opined that the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (SDPU) could become an opposition party, and he noted that there are significant differences of opinion between members of the SDPU and the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan. ¶6. (C) Hakimov and two of his colleagues from the Government of Uzbekistan also indicated their interest in mid-level policy studies at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, noting that Uzbekistan wants to study the U.S., British, German, and other European political systems. They said that Uzbekistan may apply what it learns-on a step-by-step basis-to its own political system. They added that they would like to learn how personnel surrounding the U.S. President are selected, recruited, and vetted. Hakimov and a colleague named Khudaykulov from the Civil Society Institute also noted that they would like to raise international awareness of Uzbekistan's political system by publishing an article about this in the journal Presidential Studies Quarterly. How "EcoMovement" Differs from Political Parties -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Boriy Alikhanov, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Central Council of the Ecology Movement of Uzbekistan, described the role of EcoMovement in the Oliy Majlis. Uzbekistan had created EcoMovement in response to urgent concerns about environmental and health conditions in Uzbekistan, including desertification, problems with flora and fauna, and increasing volumes of industrial and other waste. Per the Law on the EcoMovement of Uzbekistan that had recently entered into force, EcoMovement will be guaranteed 15 deputy seats (out of 150 total) in Uzbekistan's Oliy Majlis after the parliamentary elections. Alikhanov noted that many other countries have "green" political parties. These parties must concentrate so much effort on political objectives and elections that they lose sight of ecological issues, he continued. "The Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan is not a political organization or a political party," Alikhanov declared. Instead, EcoMovement directs its activities solely toward ecological, wildlife management, and health issues and the election of 15 deputies will allow EcoMovement to effectively influence legislation. Legislative Chamber Chairman Ismailov also opined that the creation of EcoMovement will improve parliament's image. Comment: -------------- ¶8. (C) Time will tell whether any of the parliamentary changes that GOU officials previewed during this conference will be more than cosmetic. If Hakimov's claim that additional reforms next year will permit criticism of the president is true, it will be interesting to see who will have the temerity to test this new freedom. It is certainly difficult to imagine any citizen of Uzbekistan getting away with this today in a country that has no real opposition and where every presidential candidate in 2007 fully endorsed Karimov's reforms. Still, GOU officials do appear interested in studying the parliamentary experiences of other countries and perhaps over the long term adapting elements of these to Uzbekistan's own political system. The GOU's previous receptivity to inter-parliamentary exchanges with the United States may provide opportunities for further political reform dialogue down the road. NORLAND