Tashkent hosted a press conference of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), dedicated to the preliminary results of the Early Presidential Election in Uzbekistan.

As mentioned, special attention was paid to the special needs of citizens with disabilities during the election process. It found its practical expression in preparing for and conducting the presidential election of the Republic of Uzbekistan ahead of schedule. Special attention was paid to creating all the conditions specified in the national election legislation in the selection and equipment of polling station buildings and voting rooms to ensure equal and unhindered use of voting rights by citizens with disabilities in the organization and conduction of the presidential election.

The issue of creating additional conditions and opportunities for ensuring the voting rights of citizens with disabilities was organized, taking into account the opinions and comments of representatives from the Society of Disabled People of Uzbekistan, the Society of the Blind, the Society of the Deaf and the Association of the Disabled.

In particular, thousands of copies of the ballot were printed in Braille. Each polling station was provided with a stencil so that blind and visually impaired citizens could independently express their will on the ballot. Specially equipped secret voting booths for persons with disabilities and physical disabilities were placed in polling stations. Optical magnifiers and illuminators were provided for blind and visually impaired voters. It was possible to directly follow the meetings of the Central Election Commission through the pages on social networks and TV channels with sign language translation.

Lutfulla Suvanov,

Editor of “New Uzbekistan” newspaper.