On August 8, 2016 it was the first time that the Legislative House and Senate of Oliy Majlis (Parliament) of the Republic of Uzbekistan held a joint meeting in Tashkent without attendance of the deceased first President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, who continuously ruled the country over the past 25 years in violation of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The meeting, held in attendance of the members of the Legislative House and Senate of the Oliy Majlis, and a few officers, invited from the Cabinet of Ministers, ministers and heads of agencies, other organisations and representatives of mass media discussed the issue of “Assigning temporary fulfilment of the duties and powers of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan”.
The Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Nigmatilla Yuldoshev addressed the meeting with a proposal that it would be expedient to assign temporary fulfilment of the duties and powers of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev owing to his extensive experience in holding positions in the government and management bodies and his reputation among the population of the country.
Not only the Council of the Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan ignored to perform sufficient legal and thorough analysis of this proposal and accepted it without any objections, the attendants – heads of political party fractions, parliament members and senators even fully supported it. At the meeting, the Legislative House and Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan took a joint resolution of vesting the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev with acting duties and powers of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Thus our Fundamental Law has been trampled down again. Article 96 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan reads: “In case the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan fail to exercise his duties, the Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan shall be vested with acting duties and powers by holding election of President of the country within three months with strict observance of the Law “On election of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan”. Thus, we can say that the new government has started its activities unjustly. And we have a full justification to say so. For according to the Law, if N. Yuldoshev voluntarily desisted from taking over acting duties and powers of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Senate would have appointed another person from among Senate members to temporarily holding this office. In such a case, N. Yuldoshev would automatically be freed from the position of chairman of the Senate. But this did not happen. Our Constitution has been totally ignored.
Now the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan should issue its ruling on this case. In addition, the Prosecutor General of the country should file his protest by declaring violation of law. If they fail to do so, not only the people will lose the belief in the possibility of bringing justice in the country, they will never believe in lawful holding of the forthcoming presidential elections either.
“Birdamlik” People’s Democratic Movement thinks that the joint resolution by the Legislative House and Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan on vesting the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev with acting duties and powers of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan is an unjust act.
In addition, the Movement demands ensuring participation of oppositional PDM “Birdamlik” at the presidential elections, planned for December 2016. If this demand of “Birdamlik” is met, and the government fully guarantee safety of the leader and members of the Movement, the Leader of the Movement, well-known opposition representative, who deserved reputation and acknowledgement by democratic countries, prominent politician known to the world community Bahodir Choriev is prepared to return to his Motherland, hold a congress of the Movement and run for the office.
Given the fact that the main purpose of the People’s Democratic Movement “Birdamlik” is to see every citizen and every family as private property owners. “Birdamlik” stands for everybody to have their own property, wealth, money, land and for multiplication of private property owners in the country.
Press service of “Birdamlik” People’s Democratic Movement