After a Smooth Election, Real Challenges Still Ahead for Uzbekistan
Some voters in Tashkent have high hopes while others are more cynical that the flashy election will result in a new kind of politics.
TASHKENT — A vegetable seller in Chorsu Bazaar, the iconic blue-domed market in Tashkent, shrugged and said he wasn’t going to vote in the parliamentary elections the Uzbek government have branded with the tagline “New Uzbekistan-New Elections” — as it wasn’t compulsory. A man selling spices and tea said he couldn’t because he had to work all day.
On Sunday, December 22, the bazaar was buzzing with activity. The morning’s snow flurries were dissipating quickly, but a chill hung in the air.
Three days earlier, scorching lights lit up the stage at Zarafshon Concert Hall as the leaders of the five parties contesting Uzbekistan’s parliamentary polls entered the room. The audience on the floor was seated by party, decked out in color-coded gear and breaking into chants and applause as their candidates walked in. In timed responses, a clock ticked down the final seconds, punctuated by a game-showesque gong and flashing red lights when a speaker’s time was up. In the balcony, observers looked down on the spectacle and press waited for their turn to lob questions down to the candidates.