Uzbekistan invites India's EC to witness April 30 referendum

Uzbekistan's ambassador to India Dilshod Akhatov said the referendum seeks to change about two-thirds of the country's existing constitution

Uzbekistan has invited India's Election Commission to witness a "historic" referendum it is holding on April 30 on a series of amendments to the country's Constitution, Uzbek diplomats said on Tuesday.

Uzbekistan's ambassador to India Dilshod Akhatov said constitutions of 190 countries including that of India were studied to bring in holistic and comprehensive changes to the Constitution of the country.

In an address at a seminar on the constitutional reforms, Akhatov said his country has witnessed significant reforms in the last few years under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the changes to the Constitution has been part of the overall initiative.

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"The country has been going through historic transformations in the last few years. The draft constitution has been prepared after examining modern various global laws and norms and constitutions of 190 countries including India," he said.

"Our Constitution will be a holistic and comprehensive one that will take Uzbekistan on a new path of growth, development and prosperity," Akhatov said.

The ambassador said the referendum seeks to change about two-thirds of the existing constitution of Uzbekistan.

Another official said India's Election Commission has been invited to witness the "historic" referendum on the constitutional reforms on April 30.

The ties between India and Uzbekistan have been on an upswing in the last few years. Both sides have shown keen interest in further expanding the ties in a number of areas including trade and investment, energy and people-to-people exchanges. President Mirziyoyev had talked about the need for constitutional reform in November 2021 in his inaugural speech, specifying that the proposal has come from the people of the country.

The envoy said more than 2,22,000 proposals from the general public were received during discussions on the constitutional reform.

Beruniy Alimov, an Assistant Professor at New Media Education Centre at the Uzbekistan State World Language University, said that some of the new provisions in the Constitution were focused on protecting human rights of the citizens, enhancing human dignity and ensuring their freedom.

"The Constitution provides that the state will assume a number of new obligations to reduce poverty, provide employment and address social issues effectively. It shows that Uzbekistan is becoming a social state," he said at the seminar.

"The highest duty of the state is to ensure human rights and freedom. According to the new norms, the ambiguities arising in the legislation will be interpreted in favour of the citizens," he said.

Alimov said the Constitution will strengthen guarantees of personal rights and freedoms of citizens in accordance with most advanced international standards.