The Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan convened for a regular session on August 15. Following the approval of the agenda proposed by the Kengash (Council) of the lower house, the deputies examined a range of bills in the first reading. Earlier, building on the requirements of the Regulations of the Legislative Chamber and summing up the comprehensive preliminary discussions, political party factions and the one from the Environmental Movement of Uzbekistan had presented their views and recommendations to a responsible committee.

Given the importance of addressing the critical task to bolster and cement the multiparty system, to bring about an environment of interparty competition toward building a democratic nation, the lawmakers of the Legislative Chamber displayed a discerning attitude to the deliberation of the draft law “On the Introduction of Amendment and Addendum to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on “Political Parties”.”

As the legislators put it, the political parties are becoming a more effective instrument for boosting the socio-political activeness of citizens in Uzbekistan, their political and law culture; that the political parties are turning into a decisive precondition of the consolidation of the constitutional principle of sovereignty of the people, of the legislative branch of government in the center and peripheries that are formed and run on multiparty basis.

In the meantime, the people’s representatives noted the importance of further advancement toward the reinforcement of the role and significance of political parties in the system of state and society building and civil society formation. This has been the very challenge that an initiative group of deputies was tasked to address, established on the decision of the joint session of UzLiDeP, Milliy Tiklanish DPU and Adolat SDPU parliamentary factions. The initiative group, basing on the analysis of proposals aimed at boosting the role and importance of party groups from political parties in local Kengashes of People’s Deputies, elaborated a bill “On the Introduction of Amendment and Addendum to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on “Political Parties”.”

The draft law envisages the introduction of a range of new regulations, primarily concerning the entitlement of party groups with the right to hear – during sessions of the Jokargy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and regional Kengashes of People’s Deputies – reports or information briefings by heads of government agencies located in that relevant territory, on issues pertinent to their activities. Due decision is adopted, though, contingent on support from more than half the number of deputies. It is presumed to fix that the proposals of party groups on issues introduced, respectively, into the Jokargy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and regional Kengashes of People’s Deputies, are subject to mandatory consideration.

Also, the bill defines the terms and procedures of forming and discontinuing party groups. Along with the powers stipulated by the legislation in force, party groups now are to have a right to introduce proposals on nominees for the chairmanship, deputy chairmanship and membership of committees or commissions in relevant representative bodies.

In general, it was stressed at the session that the proposed amendments to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Political Parties” are believed to serve to enhance the role and significance of political parties in addressing local socio-economic tasks, to bolster their activeness in the implementation of election campaign platform and policy goals and raise the responsibility of government bodies and public officers in carrying out their activities.

A lively discussion by the deputy corps was triggered also during the consideration of the bill “On the Introduction of Amendments and Addenda to Some Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Connection with the Further Consolidation of Judicial Protection of Entrepreneurship Entities” designed to refine the legislation in this sphere for the provision of entrepreneurs with greater freedom and safeguard their legitimate rights and freedoms.

Notably, this concerns the Law “On State Scrutiny of the Activities of Economic Entities” that envisages an opportunity to appeal of the decisions and actions of public officials and controlling agencies; however, submission of appeal does not lead to the suspense of its action. In order to prevent the violation of rights of economic entities and to generate additional guarantees for them, the draft law stipulates suspension of the execution of mentioned actions or decisions at the time of submission of appeal to court by the economic entity under scrutiny.

The bill does also envision the establishment of a possibility of holding circuit courts by economic courts. According to lawmakers, this practice will facilitate the expansion of accessibility of justice for entrepreneurship entities operating in remote areas of the nation, substantially reducing their expenses for transportation. These and other novelties of the draft law, as it was underscored at the session, assist the further consolidation of the judicial protection of enterprising entities as well as a more substantial consideration of cases involving entrepreneurship entities in the court.

The Legislative Chamber continued its session by deliberating on the draft law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Ratification of the Agreement on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan (Tashkent, 14 June 2013)”. The deputies noted that the relations between nations are built on equality, mutual confidence and strategic partnership. It was stressed that the agreement in question fixes key principles and priority directions of the bilateral cooperation in political, trade-economic, transport-communications, cultural-humanitarian, environmental and other areas.

A special significance was attached to the fact that the document confirms the unified stance toward the development of a fair system of water use in Central Asia that envisages addressing all issues in the water and energy sphere, including the construction of new hydropower facilities on trans-border rivers, in adherence to the universally acknowledged norms of international law and taking into account the interests of all nations of the region.

In light of the views put forward during a comprehensive discussion, the legislators approved the law that is to be passed on to the Senate of the Oliy Majlis for further consideration.

During the deliberations of the bills, representatives of all factions of political parties and those of the Environmental Movement of Uzbekistan put forward their own questions and proposals. They expressed their positions on every draft of the normative document and worked out with an eye to party programs and electorate opinions. The lawmakers underlined the importance of the deliberated legislative acts for the further reinforcement of the role and significance of party groups in local representative bodies of government, for the development of entrepreneurship, the consolidation of peace, friendship and cooperation in Central Asia.

(Source: Information Service of the Legislative Chamber Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan)