CA-News asked us to comment on the election of the
President of Uzbekistan.
The elections
were held on 29 March 2015. Four candidates ran for the position - Islam
Karimov, nominated by the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (UzLiDeP),
Narimon Umarov nominated by the "Adolat" Social Democratic Party, Hatamzhon
Ketmonov nominated by the People's Democratic Party (the former Communist Party
of the Uzbek SSR) and Akmal Saidov nominated by the "Milly Tiklanish”
(National Revival) Democratic Party.
It was
officially announced that Islam Karimov was re-elected for another term. As
stated by the Central Election Commission, 18,928,000 people (91.01 per cent)
of the eligible population participated in the voting, Karimov was elected
collecting 90.39 percent of votes. It is impossible to cross-check the official
data.
1. Could you comment for us on the presidential
elections in Uzbekistan?
In fact, there
was a substitution of the concept. A formalistic event of national importance
was called the presidential elections in Uzbekistan, aimed at preserving the
power of the dictator Islam Karimov. All other candidates were well aware that
they have no chance to come to power. A former Chairman of the Constitutional
Court of Uzbekistan Mirza-Ulugbek Elchievich ABDUSALOMOV coordinated the
process resorting to the budget of the country. So do not be surprised that the
Supreme Law of Uzbekistan is not respected.
This can happen
only in a dictatorships and totalitarian control everywhere, in the absence of
opposition, freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of assembly.
The voting
figures declared, of course, are touching. No room for intrigue at all! More
than 90% of the vote were given for Islam Karimov. We shall probably never find
out the real results.
And now, it
remains to be seen who will congratulate Islam Abduganiyevich with the victory
and call this a farce the presidential election.
2. What Uzbekistan will be like after them?
Prospects are sad.
The official Tashkent sees any alternative view as anti-constitutional. In
fact, in Uzbekistan, there is no constitutional system - there is a regime of the
dictator Karimov. And the last "election" showed it very clearly.
Political
repression, restrictions of rights and freedoms will be amplified. Not only will
the critics of the regime and representatives of religious organisations and
communities be in danger. The authorities are targeting those who lived abroad
for more than three months. Through them, the authorities find out who and
where applied for the status of a refugee. Those who applied for this status have
openly been called "traitors of the Motherland." Moreover, the courts
do not take into account that these citizens are prosecuted on the basis of
self-incrimination, obtained under torture. Chances of saving the defendants is
negligible, since they are actively being used by the Karimov regime
propagandists. Relatives of victims of human rights violations are discriminated
against, they are barred from taking the civil service.
This wave of
repressions is aimed at asylum seekers who returned to Uzbekistan, their relatives
living in the country and political exiles.
There are more
than 100 already documented cases where the security services of Uzbekistan exert
pressure on political refugees, including intimidation and acts of attempted
murder.
In November 2014
an update of the "black list" became known. It includes all those whom
the National Security Service announced unreliable. In general, Karimov is fast
creating the political wilderness in Uzbekistan. He is aiming to save himself from
criminal liability by using the participation of the most obedient. Also, he
needs to protect his daughters Gulnara and Lola. The latter, together with her
husband Temur Tilaev in a close cooperation of the criminal authority figure Salim
Abduvaliyev holds a monopoly on the supply of consumer goods in the market via
a company called "Abusahy" and
the transportation of the goods by the logistics company of the same name. Meanwhile,
Lola Karimova hides behind the status of a UNESCO representative in Uzbekistan.
This is how a criminal family gained unlimited access to the country's budget
and they are enriching themselves with the help of corrupt schemes. Trying to
avoid responsibility, they (Islam Karimov’s family) dump the blame on
"scapegoats". Therefore, the judicial system continues to depend on
the executive branch headed by Islam Karimov, and, this criminal regime will
not give up the practice of torture. He radicalises the society, which gives
rise to intensifying repressions.
Only the
adequate response of the international community, as well as activity of human
rights activists and other actors of the civil society can influence the Islam
Karimov regime.
Nadejda Atayeva,
president of the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia.
