The Central Election Commission (CEC) has signed a Cooperation Agreement with several organizations to improve the qualifications and efficiency of activities of members of referendum commissions and to develop legal skills among referendum participants.

Cooperation has been established with the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education, the Ministry of Public Education, the Higher School of Judges, the University of Public Security, the Academy of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Customs Institute.

The CEC, together with relevant ministries and agencies, will create a national headquarters for organizing and coordinating workshops for members of referendum commissions aimed at improving theoretical knowledge of referendum legislation and practical skills in using modern information technologies in voting.

From among the experts of the partner organizations, a team of highly qualified specialists in the legislation and practice of the referendum will be formed. The powers and responsibilities of the headquarters specialists will be determined.

The organization of workshops will cover three stages. In the first stage, organizational and methodological work will be carried out. In particular, in agreement with the CEC, highly qualified specialists will prepare and approve curricula and methodological materials for workshops.

The Republican headquarters will include 100 national trainers of 6-8 people from among the teaching staff of the leading higher education institutions of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regions and the city of Tashkent.

972 regional trainers will be trained to organize workshops in 208 districts and cities of the country.

In the second stage, training of regional trainers and candidates for members of referendum commissions will be organized.

At the Academy of Public Administration, highly qualified specialists will conduct two-day workshops for 100 republican trainers. Republican trainers will conduct two-day workshops for 972 regional trainers in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regional centers and Tashkent.

The Jokargy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regional, district and city councils of people’s deputies will form a list of 33 thousand participants nominated as candidates for members of district commissions (chairman, deputy chairman, secretary).

Regional trainers will interactively train candidates for members of district commissions in the context of groups of 18-24 listeners in buildings intended for holding a referendum, in district and city centers.

In the third stage, workshops will be organized for trainers and candidates for members of referendum commissions, dedicated to working with a single electronic list of voters and an information system for managing the electoral process.

Norgul Abduraimova, UzA