Islam Karimov, Tashkent, 2000, photo by Ferghana.Ru

Mirzoulugbek Abdusalomov, Chairman of the Uzbek Central Electoral Commission, informed local and foreign journalists at a briefing on November 18 that four candidates for president had been registered for the December 23 election. They are acting President Islam Karimov nominated by the Liberal Democratic Party, Asliddin Rustamov from the People's Democratic Party (former Communist Party of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic), Dilorom Tashmuhamedova from Adolat (Justice), and Akmal Saidov nominated by a spearhead.

Milly Tiklanish (National Revival) and Fidokorlar (Selfless) failed to collect the required number signatures for their candidates and dropped from the presidential race, Abdusalomov explained.

The Central Electoral Commission formed two work teams to examine the submitted documents and verify their validity. The teams comprised professional lawyers, experts, and representatives of general public. "Examination of the documents over the period permitted by the acting legislation showed them adequate and valid. Four candidates for president were therefore registered and issued appropriate IDs," Abdusalomov said.

There is something wrong here: the Central Electoral Commission denied registration to candidates nominated by two political parties but welcomed the only candidate who is not supposed to be running for president under the Constitution. Needless to say, no effort was made to explain this quaint choice of candidates. The Central Electoral Commission makes no mention of the provision of the Constitution that restricts presidency to two terms only. Servile political technologists point out that this is going to be Karimov's first seven-year term of office, but officials decline comments on the issue altogether.

What can they say indeed? The Constitution of Uzbekistan does not link the number of terms of office with their duration. Its Article 90 merely states, plainly and clearly, that "One and the same person cannot be the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan more than two times in a row." The document offers no loopholes or leeways.

In any event, participation in the election of candidates from several political parties enabled innumerable Uzbek and Russian political scientists to hold forth on the "democratic" nature of the forthcoming presidential election. That the Constitution is neglected in so outrageously open a manner does not apparently count.

As far as these political scientists are concerned, the forthcoming election is going to be more democratic than the previous campaigns because three political clowns (not just one) will be involved in the sham. Moreover, one of them represents the parliamentary opposition and the oldest political party in Uzbekistan (People's Democratic Party), another comes from the non-state sector, and the third is a woman. By this logic, triumph of democratic ideals in Uzbekistan requires three more candidates for president - a Negro, a handicapped person, and a homosexual.

In a word, the events are taking the expected course. Karimov is registered, nobody is asking awkward question (because nobody can), and preparations for re-election are getting into high gear.

Registration of candidates for president launched the election campaign. According to Abdusalomov, coverage of the candidates in electronic media (TV- and radio broadcasters Uzbekiston, Yoshlar, National TV and Radio Company) and newspapers (Halk Suzi, Narodnoye Slovo, Pravda Vostoka) has been scheduled already.

In two months or so, Karimov will once again be facing the parliament and swearing by the Constitution and the Koran "to serve the people of Uzbekistan, abide by the Constitution and laws of the republic, guarantee human rights and civil freedoms, and faithfully perform the duties of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan..."