TASHKENT, July 9. /TASS/. Voter turnout in Uzbekistan’s early presidential election reached 60.74% as of 3 p.m. local time (1 p.m. Moscow time), deputy head of the republic’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) Bakhrom Kuchkarov told a briefing.

"Around 11.7 mln voters, or 60.74%, cast their votes across the country by 3 p.m.," he said. The threshold for the voting to be acknowledged as valid stands at 33% in Uzbekistan.

The voting started at 8 a.m. (06 a.m. Moscow time), and it will be held until 8 p.m. (6 p.m. Moscow time). A total of 800 foreign observers, representing several dozens of countries and international organizations, as well as around 1,500 domestic and foreign journalists, have been accredited to monitor the polls.

Incumbent President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was nominated by the Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party (UzLiDeP). The National Revival Democratic Party (Milliy Tiklanish) also supported his candidacy. The People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan and the Ecological Party nominated their leaders, Ulugbek Inoyatov and Abdushukur Hamzayev, respectively. First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan Robaxon Maxmudova has the support of the Justice Social Democratic Party (Adolat).