Five political parties and one initiative group of voters will be allowed to participate in Uzbekistan’s presidential election (set for 23 December), the Uzbek newspaper Narodnoye Slovo reported on 16 October.

The paper carried the text of a resolution by the CEC (Central Electoral Commission) on this, approved on the 15th, and the list of the parties and initiative groups allowed to take part in the election. They are: the Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party; the Fidokorlar (Self-sacrificers) National Democratic Party; the Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival) Democratic Party; the People’s Democratic Party; the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen - the Liberal Democratic Party; and the initiative group of voters.

On 4 October, the Liberal Democratic Party announced that it would nominate incumbent President Islom Karimov for the presidency of Uzbekistan.

The initiative group of voters was set up on 5 October 2007 in Tashkent to nominate Akmal Kholmatovich Saidov as a candidate for the Uzbek presidency.