OSCE elections body opens a mission in Tashkent for Uzbek presidential election

WARSAW/TASHKENT, 10 December 2007 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ODIHR, has opened a limited election observation mission for the presidential election in Uzbekistan on 23 December. This follows an invitation from the Uzbek authorities and the conduct of a Needs Assessment.

The mission, headed by Austrian Ambassador Walter Siegl, consists of nine core staff based in Tashkent. In addition, 12 observers seconded by participating States will be deployed throughout the country on 12 December.

The mission is assessing the electoral process in the context of OSCE commitments for democratic elections. It is focusing on the election campaign, the legislative framework and its implementation, the media situation, the work of the election administration and other relevant bodies such as courts.

Due to the apparent limited nature of the electoral competition, it is not considered necessary to deploy short-term observers and the OSCE/ODIHR will not conduct any systematic and comprehensive observation of election-day proceedings, but observers will nonetheless visit a number of polling stations on election day.

The observation mission and the OSCE Project Co-Ordinator in Uzbekistan operate separately under their specific mandates.