TASHKENT, December 4. /TASS/. Preliminary results of Sunday’s presidential elections in Uzbekistan will be announced at 16:00 local time (14:00 Moscow time) on Monday, chairman of the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov said on Sunday.

"Tomorrow, on December 5, a briefing will be held at 16:00 to announce preliminary results of the presidential elections," he said.

According to Abdusalomov, the voter turnout was 87.83% as 17,941,955 voters took part in the polls. Thus, the voter turnout was lower than at the previous presidential elections in 2015, when 91% of eligible voters came to polling stations. However, Abdusalomov noted, Uzbekistan’s citizens demonstrated high political activity as the threshold of 33% needed to recognize the elections as valid was exceeded by eleven in the morning.

"The elections were open and transparent, with all international democratic norms and principles fixed in the Uzbek constitution and laws observed," he stressed.

He also said that more than 37,000 observers from political parties, international organizations and journalists are monitoring the vote counting procedures. "No reports came from local commissions about violations of the election laws," he added.

Early presidential elections were held in Uzbekistan on Sunday. The elections were appointed after the death of Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov on September 2.

Four candidates from all Uzbekistan’s officially registered parties are vying for presidency. Acting President and Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev was nominated by the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen/the Liberal Democratic Party. The People’s Democratic Party nominated Khatamzhon Ketmonov, the Milliy Tiklanich (National Revival) Democratic Party nominated Sarvar Otamuratov, and Nariman Umarov is the nominee of the Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party.

Under the Uzbek current laws, elections are recognized valid when the voter turnout exceeds 33% The winning candidate is to score more than 50% of voters.