Allegations over fairness of Mahalla election in Shofirkon (video)

A video circulating on social media has raised concerns over the transparency of the mahalla chairman (community leader of a traditional Uzbek neighborhood unit) election held at the Juyrabot mahalla citizens' assembly in the Shofirkon district of Bukhara region.

The footage shows that a voter list consisting of 350 individuals was reportedly prepared in agreement with mahalla elders. However, several citizens who arrived to vote were turned away for unclear reasons. In the video, some voters can be heard saying, “Our rights are being violated.” Additionally, the video’s authors claim that officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs were present at the scene but did not intervene in the alleged violations.

In response to the incident, the Shofirkon district government issued an official statement clarifying the situation. According to the statement, the process was reviewed by the representative of the District Election Commission assigned to the Jo‘yrabot mahalla, observers, the mahalla citizens' assembly working group, and the counting commission.

The investigation revealed that the mahalla citizens' assembly had compiled a list of 335 voters, made arrangements for 400 citizens to participate, and ensured that the necessary conditions were in place, such as printed ballots, designated voting areas, and ballot boxes.

Regarding the allegations made in the video, the government referred to Article 3 of the Law “On the Election of the Chairman of the Citizens' Assembly,” which states that 12 percent of permanent residents over the age of 18 must be included in the voter list. According to officials, this requirement was met, and those listed were given the opportunity to vote for their preferred candidate.

The government emphasized that interference by district authorities, internal affairs bodies, or other government agencies in the election process is prohibited. If citizens believe their rights were violated, they are entitled to appeal in court in accordance with Article 29 of the same law.

For context, Article 3 of the law prohibits direct or indirect restrictions on citizens' right to participate in the election of mahalla chairmen and their advisors. Article 7 further guarantees equal voting rights to all citizens regardless of gender, race, nationality, language, religion, or social status.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has also spoken critically about the integrity of local elections. During an extraordinary session of the Council of People’s Deputies in Nurafshon, Tashkent region, on March 19, 2021, he questioned the nation’s readiness to conduct truly democratic elections.

“Are we ready to elect governors now? We cannot even elect a single mahalla chairman fairly,” the president said. “When we try to hold fair elections for mahalla chairmen, they come in droves saying ‘we’ll elect ours,’ and they do. Isn't holding elections in a society that isn’t ready a betrayal? This is real betrayal.”