Ambassador Vitali Fen of Uzbekistan contributed the following article on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of their Constitution Day, which was Tuesday. ― ED.
Eighteen years ago, Uzbekistan gained its political sovereignty, and has followed a path of democratic development, a market economy, creation of a humane, lawful state, a fair civil society and a revival of traditional culture based on the idea of national independence.
In order to achieve these goals, President Islam Karimov has developed the so-called Uzbek model of revival and progress, which is widely recognized by the international community.
The core of this model is to take into account all the specifics and features of the evolution of Uzbekistan.
This concept of democratization and renovation of the society ― reforming and modernizing the country targeting all spheres of the state's function ― is directed at maintaining the well-being of each citizen of Uzbekistan.
As a result, an effective bicameral parliament has been established in the country.
It has solved fundamental problems, such as building a new democratic statehood, as well as radically reforming the political and legal systems, generating a legislative base to introduce a market economy, revitalizing political and economic values and principles, and raising the political consciousness and legal education of the population.
The idea of creating a two-chamber parliamentary system was formulated by the head of our state at the second session of Oliy Majlis (parliament) on May 25, 2000.
This idea was approved by the entire population of Uzbekistan in a referendum which took place on Jan. 27, 2002.
Parliamentary reform was preceded by a deep and all-around analysis of the problems of developing a political system aimed at changing the structure of the parliament and its activity.
At the eighth session of parliament, the Constitutional law based on the results of the referendum and the main principles of the organization of the government were passed.
It has a fixed structure consisting of the two-chamber supreme body of legislature for Uzbekistan.
At the ninth session of parliament, the Constitutional laws concerning the Senate for the Oliy Majlis and its legislative chamber were passed.
They have defined the status of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis, the order for their formation, their power and their interaction with each other and other branches of government.
Thus, the created legal base has reflected almost all ideas in favor of a transition to the bicameral parliamentary system. As a result of parliamentary reform, the two-chamber parliament was created in which the legislative chamber entirely concentrates on legislative activity, and the other ― the Senate ― incurs some part of representation functions.
Unlike unicameral parliament, laws in the two-chamber Oliy Majlis are more carefully studied by the lower house, through a prism of parties' interests and interests of all society as a whole.
On the other hand, it is supervised by the Senate in view of its conformity with the interests of the regions on a non-party basis.
Parliamentary reform has considerably raised the role of factions within the political parties in implementing the tasks of Oliy Majlis.
The order of inter-fractional struggles are established, and the rights of the party which has declared itself as parliamentary opposition are guaranteed.
As well, a better and more democratic manner of electing the speaker's deputies has been adopted: any faction in the legislative chamber acquires the guaranteed right to have one seat among the speaker's deputies to be occupied by its representative.
Some democratic amendments have been introduced into the Oliy Majlis.
The Senate became not only the chamber of regional representation, but also the political tool of parliament as a whole, especially while interacting with the executive power and the control over it.
In order to implement this role, the Constitutional Law does not permit establishing groups based on territorial or political basis in the Senate.
Nowadays, the Oliy Majlis has become an effective and mobile parliament, not only in view of passing laws, but also as an active tool to initiating and implementing economic and democratic reforms.
It enabled them to strengthen the control over the executive powers, allowed the authority of lawmakers both in the Legislative chamber and the Senate to grow, as well as to accelerate the political process in the country.