Sizning tanlovingiz – farzandlarning kelajagi (Your choice is the future of your children). The text of a board urging voters to cast their votes could be the motto of today’s presidential elections in Uzbekistan. Voters being aware of their responsibility for the future of oncoming generations turned up in great numbers at the polling stations this morning.

Voting started at 8 o’clock and it looked as if the Central Election Commission responsible for guaranteeing that even the minutest details of the elections were in order and the election process went smoothly was able even to ensure that the weather wouldn’t scare away voters from going to the polling stations. Tashkent woke up to a bright and sunny Sunday encouraging citizens to start the day by attending one of the “uchastkas” to cast their votes.

Though the last day of the week is the time when weekly shopping is done and many people flock to the markets, by 11 o’clock the turnout was well-over 15% at almost every station and at places it reached 30% of registered voters with people queuing up in front of the buildings. Officials expect a rush after lunch, early in the afternoon and hope that finally more than 70% of the voters will show up. 

Directors of polling stations have devised very creative ways to boost people’s morale and attract voters. At some places, young people who cast their votes for the first time are given small gifts to remind them of this festive occasion, while at other places children sing patriotic songs and recite poems praising their homeland and their mother tongue. There are stations where people who have finished selecting their favourite candidate and placed their ballots into the box put stickers on their clothes bearing the text: “Men ovoz berdim, sizchi?” (I have already cast my vote. What about you?)

This general attitude of encouraging those who keep postponing their visit at the ballot boxes can be observed in social media as well. Many posts can be seen proudly announcing that the author of the post has already voted and messages like “Men ovozimni yurtim kelajagi uchun berdim” (I’ve cast my vote for the future of my nation) and “O’z ovozim bilan yangi O’zbekistonning yangi sahifasi ochilishiga hissa qo’shdim” (Through my vote I contributed to a new start in a new Uzbekistan) are meant to motivate others to go to the polling stations.

All in all, everything seems to go very smoothly today and if the expectation of officials will come true and more than 70% of voters turn up to tell their opinion of the direction the future of Uzbekistan should take, I will full-heartedly say: “O’zbekistonni tabriklayman!”, Congratulations, Uzbekistan!

Prof. Benedek Peri, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, 

Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest. 

         An International Observer for the Presidential elections of Uzbekistan