By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo

In Tashkent the 12th Congress of the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Adolat” was held. It was attended by delegates elected from the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regions, and the city of Tashkent, representatives of the Political Council, members of the Central Audit Commission, and the party faction in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, party activists, and media workers.

The participants summed up the party’s activities for 2020-2024 and identified priority tasks for the future. As noted, the number of SDPU “Adolat” members of Uzbekistan during the reporting period increased almost threefold, from 438 thousand at the beginning of 2020 to 1.1 million. If in 2020, the number of primary party organizations exceeded 6 thousand, then by 2024, their number is more than 8 thousand. If in 2019, 176 thousand (37 percent) of the party members were young, today, about 433 thousand, or 39 percent of the total number of members, are young.

Over the past reporting period, the party’s deputy groups sent 18,578 deputy inquiries to the relevant organizations upon appeals from individuals and legal entities, 9,988 hearings of officials were held at sessions of the Councils of People’s Deputies, based on the results of the study by deputy groups and working groups, 5,043 issues were submitted to meetings of standing committees, and 2,730 issues were submitted to sessions of the Councils of Peoples Deputies.

Also, during the reporting period, the SDPU “Adolat” faction in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis put forward an initiative of 36 draft laws based on the right of legislative initiative.

During the SDPU “Adolat” congress, which aimed at protecting justice, equality, and human rights, maintaining a commitment to democratic values, and introducing reliable approaches to national development, the party’s Election Program, political views, and strategic plans were presented. 

In particular, it was noted that the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Adolat”, positioning itself in the political arena as the “left center”, remaining true to the ideology of social democracy, in its new Election Program emphasized the judicial and legal sphere, healthcare, education and science, ecology and environmental protection, as well as foreign and domestic policy.

The initiatives of the party program, such as the fair distribution of income received as a result of the state’s economic activity, determining the amount of fines and other legal measures based on proportionality to citizens’ incomes, preventing a sharp stratification of the population, also testify to the party’s commitment to social democratic ideas.

In particular, the Election Program provides for the introduction of modern information and communication technologies in the healthcare sector, the formation of the “Smart Medicine” system, the transfer of non-governmental medical organizations from the status of commercial organizations to non-commercial ones, the establishment of criminal liability for secret conspiracies between pharmaceutical and medical workers, the provision of qualified medical care to the population at the local level, strengthening control over the illegal circulation of drugs, and the development of effective legislative mechanisms.

The independence of judges is an essential criterion for increasing citizens’ trust in the judiciary. To ensure a high level of guarantees for the rights of judges and optimize the workload, it is proposed to develop a law “On the Status of Judges”, increase the number of judges in the administration of justice and develop the institution of advocacy.

Also, to ensure the social protection of the population, ideas such as a ban on the privatization of recreation parks and places of mass festivities and the installation of special sound devices on traffic lights for people with disabilities were put forward.

At the same time, proposals were put forward to eliminate students’ problems related to housing, improve the quality of education in higher education institutions by improving the quality of educational literature, establish systematic work on the acquisition and translation of modern foreign literature, and ensure the interests of representatives of the scientific sphere and a worthy assessment of the hard work of scientists.

After discussions, the congress delegates approved the Election Program of the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Adolat” entitled “Towards equal opportunities and a fair society!”

Another vital issue on the congress’s agenda is the approval of candidates for party deputies in the upcoming elections.

As noted, the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Adolat” paid particular attention to several important aspects when nominating candidates for the upcoming elections. This is due to the fact that the goal of the party is to see in parliament and local Councils people who are capable of fully protecting the interests of the people, proactive, ready to enthusiastically carry out assigned tasks, loyal, patriotic, respected by the people, responsible and fair individuals who justify the trust placed in them.

Following the congress, 75 candidates for deputies of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan in majoritarian single-mandate constituencies and 100 candidates on the party list were approved and nominated.

45 percent of the candidates are women. All 175 candidates have higher education, of which 25 percent are teachers, 20 percent are lawyers, 18 percent are medical workers, and 37 percent are representatives of the economy, social, and other spheres. In addition, 18 candidates have a PhD degree, and 23 have a DSc degree.

It was noted that all documents related to the candidates will be submitted to the Central Election Commission for registration of candidates in accordance with the established procedure.

It was emphasized that, based on the party’s political strategy and specific goals aimed at consistently continuing reforms and renewals in the country’s economic, social, and other spheres, party activists, candidates for deputies, and all its members are ready to implement positive changes in all spheres of life in the country with united efforts, and there are all opportunities to achieve victory.