Dr Alfred Kellermann.
EU Project “Further Strenghtening of the Bi-Cameral Parliamentary System and Communications between the Parliament and the Regional Assemblies in Uzbekistan”.
By Dr Alfred Kellermann.
In October 2012 I was involved as Team Leader in Uzbekistan in an EU Project which had the objective “To support the current process of reforms and further democratisation in Uzbekistan by modernising the Uzbek Parliament and reinforcing its relationship with society.”
Objective 1 – Capacity building was to increase the effectiveness of the legislative process and to reinforce the parliamentary mechanisms for monitoring law implementation at different levels in line with EU and international best practices combined with national experience and parliamentary traditions .
Objective 2 – Networking to create an information / communication network that will ensure continuous and clear interaction between the Senate and the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis, the Jokargy Kenes (Parliament of the Republic of Karakalpakstan) and local Kengashes of people deputies.
Objetive 3 – Public Awareness increasing at Uzbek society for the role and functioning of the Parliament, improving public and NGO Participation and involvement in discussing draft legislation at different stages.
The results of the three objectives were more or less realized in 2014.
Full integration of Uzbekistan into the International and EU legal order poses a number of tasks for the Chamber of Legislation and Senate in Uzbekistan. Some of these tasks have to be implemented in the near future.
The First contractual relationship of Uzbekistan with EU, the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) signed on 21 June 1996 in Florence, came into force on July first 1999. In accordance with Article 83 PCA, a Parliamentary Cooperation Committee for PCA and Association was established.
Since the entry info force of the Lisbon Treaty, many new developments took place which were of interest for this parliamentary project for example the new role of the national Parliaments (Art. 12 EU). Strengthening the capacities of the Chamber of Legislation and Senate of Uzbekistan to monitor the Approximation of the Uzbek legislation with International Conventions and EU acquit according to Article 42 PCA was one of the priorities.
Since January 2005 the Parliament consists of two chambers: the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis (Lower House) and the Senate of the Oliy Majlis (Upper House).
The Senate is the highest legislative body of territorial representatives . It consists of 100 Senators and represents 12 viloyats (regions) of Uzbekistan, the city of Tashkent and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The Legislative Chamber consists of 150 Deputies with a right of legislative initiative, elected from various electoral disctricts based on a Multi-party system.
The Republic of Karakalpakstan is an integral part of the Republic of Uzbekistan, with 1,5 million inhabitants and covers approximately one third of Uzbekistan’s territory. Jokargy Kenes is the unicameral Parliament of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and has 86 deputies.
Plans towards building a democratic state respectful for the rule of law, Human rights and participative civil society have been prepared during the period of the EU project. These developments together with an action plan for future reforms have been presented in a “Concept of further deepening for democratic reforms and establishing the civil society in the country”drafted in late 2010. In a Keynote Speech of the President on 14.9.2012 the level and quality of training of specialists was raised as a top priority of state policy.
Uzbekistan’s new President Shavkat Mirziyoyev elected on December 4, 2016 says he wants his country to finally move on from Soviet era policies and economics. This has as a consequence that in the near future the objectives and results of the EU project of 2012 will be enlarged and will continue to have its effects for new reforms!
——–
Dr Alfred Kellermann, Team Leader 2012 in Uzbekistan. The EU integration of Uzbekistan’s full project is available in the Chamber of Legislation and Senate of Uzbekistan. Dr Kellerman is a Professor in European Law. Institution Building Expert.
