TASHKENT, December 4. /TASS/. Uzbekistan is holding presidential election on Sunday. Citizens are to elect the head of state from four candidates. The election is held in connection with the death of the country’s first President, Islam Karimov, on September 2.
The candidates are Uzbekistan’s Acting President and Prime Minister, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, nominated by the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businesspeople - the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan. His rivals are the leaders of three other officially registered political associations of the country. The People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan has nominated Khotamjon Ketmonov, Uzbekistan’s Nationial RevivalDemocratic Party - Sarvar Otamuratov and the Justice Social Democratic Party - Narimon Umarov.
The voting will begin at 6am local time (4am Moscow Time) and will end at 8pm (6pm Moscow Time). A total of 9,378 polling stations will open, including 44 at the diplomatic missions in 28 countries. In Russia, the polling stations are located in Moscow at Uzbekistan’s Embassy and in Novosibirsk, at the Consulate General. According to the Russian migration authorities, as of the beginning of February, there were about 1,8 million Uzbekistan's citizens in Russia.
In accordance with the law, the election will be declared valid if 33% of the total number of voters takes part in them. The candidate who will secure the votes of more than 50% of the voters taking part in the election will be the winner of the presidential race.
According to Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Central Election Commission, Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov, members of the precinct election commissions underwent practical training and are prepared to answer any questions citizens and observers may have.
The Central Election Commission is planning to announce the preliminary results shortly after the end of the voting. Under law, the final results of the election should be made public within ten days.
The president-elect assumes office "no later than two months after the day when the election outcomes are announced by the Central Election Commission." The inauguration takes place at a session of parliament with oath taking. The president's term of office is five years. According to the Constitution, the same person cannot be elected president for more than two consecutive terms.