Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 12 April 2023, the CIS Observer Mission and its Headquarters began work in Tashkent. At the invitation of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the CIS Observer Mission will take part in monitoring the preparation and holding of a referendum on the draft Constitutional Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, the press service of the CIS Executive Committee reports.

A meeting was held between the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan Zainiddin Nizamkhojaev and the Head of the CIS Observer Mission, CIS Secretary General Sergei Lebedev and members of the Mission Headquarters. Zainiddin Nizamkhodjaev briefed the guests on the preparations for the referendum. He noted that it takes place in conditions of openness and publicity.

The head of the Mission of Observers from the CIS stressed that the work of the Mission will be based on the principles of political neutrality, non-interference in the preparation and conduct of the referendum and in the internal affairs of the state, strictly in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan. “We see our task in assisting in conducting a free and democratic campaign,” said the Head of Mission.

Sergei Lebedev informed Zainiddin Nizamkhodjaev that “The headquarters of the CIS Observer Mission started work today. He organizes the activities of observers, determines the procedure for their work on the eve and on the day of voting, distributes them among the regions of Uzbekistan, and conducts the necessary briefing.

During long-term monitoring, we plan to visit and study the work of referendum commissions at all levels, monitor television and print media. Short-term observers will arrive to carry out their functions 2-3 days before the voting, and after receiving all the necessary materials from the Mission Headquarters, they will begin to perform their tasks.

Our assessments will be based solely on our own observation, official information, factual material provided by referendum commissions and state institutions.”

During the meeting, the observers of the CIS Mission were given the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of the operational information center, as well as with the practice of using new information technologies in preparation for the referendum.

At the end of the meeting, Sergei Lebedev made an official statement to the media about the start of the CIS Observer Mission. He drew the attention of the media to the number and composition of the Mission: “Now the process of forming the Mission is underway. We expect that it will include representatives of the CIS member states, the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia, and the CIS Executive Committee.

It is expected that about 50-60 observers from the CIS will take part in monitoring the preparation and conduct of the referendum.”

The observers from the Commonwealth will be observing in Uzbekistan for the ninth time.