Oct 222012
 

To the Uzbek Opposition’s Leaders

“Birlik” party’s leader Abdurahim Pulatov

Leader of the “UHH” Muhammad Solih

“Birdamlik” National Democratic Movement’s leader Bahodir Choriev. 

From  Human Rights Defender Abdujalil Boymatov. 


 

Open letter

To leaders of Uzbek opposition!

 

Dear leaders of Uzbek opposition!

 

We all know that in fall 2014 there will be held parliamentary elections and in 2015 presidential elections in Uzbekistan. Whether the Uzbek opposition can participate actively or not in these elections, depends if the Uzbek opposition can become a political power.

In 1989-91 the People’s Movement Birlik had become a political power. But, unfortunately, it was divided and had lost its position as a political power. Oppositions of Germany, Czechoslovakia, and The Baltic republics maintained unity and had won in free and democratic elections held in their countries.

It has passed more than 20 years since the Uzbek opposition was divided. There are 3 organizations under the name of people’s movement for Uzbekistan which has thirty million people. But Uzbek opposition is still weak, divided, and busy with internal quarrels. However, the last chance to change the situation is in your hands.

 

In 2015 Islam Karimov will be 77, Abdurahim Pulatov 70, Muhammad Salih 66, and Bakhadir Choriyev 46. Evidently, this will be the last chance for Abdurahim Pulatov and Muhammad Salih to participate in presidential and parliamentary elections. I think, Uzbek opposition can become a political power and participate in presidential elections. In order to achieve this, leaders of opposition should forget quarrels between each other and form the Council of opposition.

 

It will consist of:

  1. 3 representatives from People’s Movements like Birlik, Bridamlik, and People’s Movement of Uzbekistan; 1 representative from human rights organizations and editors of well known internet sites of the opposition.
  2. Create the fund of opposition. This money will be spent to increase the activeness of the Uzbek opposition within the territory of Uzbekistan.

We can call this council a mini-parliament of the Uzbek opposition. The main goal of this council is to transform the Uzbek opposition into a political power and to ensure free democratic presidential and parliamentary elections. This will not be easy, because followings must be accomplished in order to hold free and democratic elections:

  1. Right to peaceably assemble, that means right to peaceful mass gatherings in public places including peaceful mass protests[1].
  2. Freedom of association, right to create and register political parties, movements, and human rights organizations.
  3. Freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of internet.
  4. Abolish system of residence permit and guarantee residents’ free movement within the country. Abolish system of exit permit.
  5. Free exercise of religion. Religion must be separated from education and state.

I suggest followings as an election platform:

  1. To give lands to farmers as private property[2,3,4].
  1. Decrease annual cotton production from 3.5 million tons to 1 million ton[5,6,7].
  2. To reduce the corruption rate in Uzbekistan. Right now it’s ranked at 177th out of 182. It should go down as low as Georgia (64) or Turkey (69) [8,9].

 

  1. Increase the business environment in Uzbekistan dramatically. In this terms Uzbekistan is ranked at 166 out of 183. The business environment should be improved to the level of Kazakhstan (47) [10].

I offer followings as a road map to Uzbek opposition:

  1. Leaders of opposition Abdurahim Pulatov, Muhammad Salih, and Bahodir Choriyev will lead the opposition council turn by turn for one-year term.
  1. If the opposition, taking part in the elections, enters into the parliament to move in the future from presidential to parliamentary rule.
  1. After the adoption of an amendment to the constitution about parliamentary rule, president of the transition period will be elected for two years as it was done in Kyrgyzstan (Roza Otunbaeva).
  1. Parliamentary elections will be held in Uzbekistan (approximately in 2016).
  1. Presidential elections will be held (approximately in 2017). President will be elected for one term for five years. After 2-3 free democratic elections president can be elected for two terms.

Leaders of opposition Abdurahim Pulatov, Muhammad Salih, and Bahodir Choriyev can nominate their candidacy in these elections. Evidently, there are a lot of things to do and it seems that it is impossible to accomplish them in Uzbekistan. But, in former communistic countries like Mongolia(1992), Kyrgyzstan(2011), and Georgia(2012) free democratic elections were held and parliamentary system was established. Are we, Uzbeks, cannot achieve this?

Most important resources of opposition are internet sites of opposition and human rights organizations, internet portals like Zamondosh Radio, Zamondosh TV, Turkiston Radio, Turkiston TV, Uznewsnet, Ozodlik, BBC, Voice of Amerika and etc.

 

When the Uzbek opposition does mini-parliament like conference, it can be done through OOVOO or Skype. In other words it’s unnecessary to spend a huge amount of money on organizing a congress and setting it up.  

 

Perhaps, Uzbek billionaires like Alisher Usmonov, Iskandar Mahmudov, Fattoh Shodiyev, and Olimjon Ibrohimov will not ignore the tough social and economical situation in Uzbekistan. They, as one of the well known leaders of opposition Pulat Ohunov hopes, maybe will contribute to economical and political reforms in Uzbekistan [11,12].

 

22th October of 2012

Abdujalil Boymatov

The president of Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan.

Dublin. Ireland.

 

Sources:

 

1. Жин Шарп. Диктатурадан демократияга.(http://muxlis.at.ua/kitoblar/Huquq/d.pdf).

 

2.На ТВ-радио Замондош Ахтам Шаймарданов и Абдужалил Бойматов.11.05.2012.(http://zamondosh.blogspot.ie/2012/05/uzbekistan-green-party-community.html).

3. Ахтам Шаймарданов: Призываю правозащитников Узбекистана добиваться частной собственности на земли дехканских и фермерских хозяйств страны !09.06.2012. (http://ru.hrsu.org/archives/3472#more-3472).

4.Ахтам Шаймарданов.Комментарии по дискуссии на Uznews.net «Общество гумманистов» – об Андижанской трагедии. 18.05.2012. (http://zamondosh.blogspot.ie/2012/05/blog-post_6312.html).

5. Акбар Саидзода: Узбекистан – расточительное использование воды. 04.07.2011. (http://www.ca-news.org/news/725921, http://khovar.tj/rus/society/34564-uzbekistan-rastochitelnoe-ispolzovanie-vody.html , http://ru.hrsu.org/archives/3926#more-3926).

6.Кристофер Мартиус:’Ўзбекистон пахтадан воз кечса, қишлоқ хўжалигида дунёда етакчилардан бўлади’.30.01.2012.(http://www.bbc.co.uk/uzbek/interactivity/2012/01/120130_cy_talkingpoint_martius.shtml),(http://uz.hrsu.org/archives/3407).

7. Депутат Европарламента сравнил Центральную Азию с кипящим экологическим котлом. 17.07.2012.(http://www.ca-news.org/news:1022731/),

(http://ru.hrsu.org/archives/3677#more-3677).

8.Corruption Perceptions Index 2011.(http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/results/).

9.Узбекистан – самая коррумпированная и “прогнившая” страна в мире, по версии популярнейшего американского издания The Daily Beast. 10.02.2012.( http://ca-dialog.org/uzbekistan-most-corrupt-countr/ ).

 10.The World Bank.Doing business.2012.(http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings,

11.Пулат Ахунов: Узбекистан: Кто займется реформами? 01.10.2012.(http://www.fergananews.com/articles/7504, http://ru.hrsu.org/archives/3922#more-3922).

12.Россиянинг бой озорбайжонлилари Илҳом Алиевга қарши бирлашмоқда, ўзбек бойларичи? 21.10.2012.(http://www.harakat.net/el_news.php?id=12469, http://uz.hrsu.org/archives/4452#more-4452 ).

 

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