Abdusalomov, Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission of Uzbekistan, announced at the briefing at the Press Center (10.30 p.m., December 23) that the turnout at the presidential election amounted to 90.6%.

According to interim estimates, 14,765,444 voters turned up at polling stations.

UzA news agency quoted Abdusalomov as saying that the election "concurred with all democratic norms and principles" specified by the Constitution and laws "On election of the president of the Republic of Uzbekistan" and "On guarantees of voting rights".

The local human rights community in the meantime views the election in Uzbekistan as neither free nor fair.

Observers are essentially confident that the election will be won by Islam Karimov, ruler of Uzbekistan for the last eighteen years.

The Central Electoral Commission promises the interim results of the election at a briefing at 6 p.m. on December 24.