Excerpts from report by Uzbek radio on 9th January

[Presenter] A great political event - a presidential poll - is taking place
today in Uzbekistan.

[Passage omitted: on importance of the election; there was high turnout]
Like all our compatriots, our head of state, [President] Islam Karimov, cast
his vote in the presidential election today. Here is a report from our
correspondents.

[Correspondent, over video of a polling station] Since the early hours this
morning people started coming to polling station No 652 in electoral
district No 1 in the capital's Yakkasaroy District to vote for their
presidential candidate.

[Passage omitted: voters are active]
Our head of state, Islam Karimov, also exercised his constitutional right
and cast his vote today. [Video shows Karimov entering a polling station,
meeting people at the entrance, signing voter registration papers, putting
his ballot paper in an urn; shaking hands with a young man; then talking to
journalists]

On the same site our head of state, Islam Karimov, answered many questions
from local and foreign journalists.

[Uzbek TV journalist] What would you say to our compatriots who are turning
up in high numbers at the polling stations and those voting for you.

[Karimov, shown surrounded by journalists] I would, above all, express my
gratitude to them. I belive that our people will first of all make an
impartial assessment of the work we have done, the path we have followed
and the progress we have made in the past eight years. They will place
their trust in their candidate and cast their votes after a comprehensive
analysis of the present situation and a proper look at our future.
Therefore, I will repeat what I said during my meetings in regions and on
other occasions: I trust and bow to my people.

[Foreign correspondent in Russian] Are you sure about your people's support?
The second question: if you win, will there be any changes in your
policies?

[Karimov] You asking me about being sure, aren't you? I have always trusted
and will trust my people's wisdom. If you think about it, there are more
than 7,000 polling stations. If you think about it, who is voting
consciously and who is against his will, I am sure you will get a clear and
precise answer to your question. I am convinced that the absolute majority
of our voters are casting their votes for a presidential candidate with
full awareness. That is why I believe that the electorate, our people, will
make the right choice, I mean, the choice for the future.
As for your second question, whether policies will change, you should
specify the field and direction. You put a general question and my reply
is: our objective remains the same and we are not going to change it - to
build an open and democratic state with a market economy along with
building the foundation for a civil society.

At the 14th session of the Supreme Assembly I made an address entitled
"Uzbekistan heading for the 21st century", which highlights the main
objectives. I can tell you briefly about them. Our main aim will be to
further liberalize all aspects of our life - political, social and and
economic aspects. The second aim - I am convinced that it is the most
important one at the present stage - is to deepen our economic reforms.
What does deepening mean? I understand it as broadening and deepening
privatization and making a fresh attempt to create conditions for foreign
investors. The next, in my view the most crucial area to work on in future,
is to create very favorable conditions for small and medium sized
businesses. I am convinced that without boosting small and medium
businesses and entrepreneurship it will be very difficult to move on and
develop. These are, roughly, the areas which I consider the most important.
 
If you ask me about our foreign political aims, our objectives remain the
same, the strategy and direction of our foreign policy are unchanged - we
will not change these positions. I think these are equal-footing relations
with all states, good-neighbourly and friendly relations with immediate and
distant neighbours.

[Russian TV correspondent, Shahnoza Ghaniyeva] Could you please tell us, as
your destiny and private life, without doubt, cannot be separated from the
fate and life of this state, as a human being, what do you dream about?

[Karimov] Oh, what a question! I once talked about it. You know, my dream is
to do something to make the system work. I sincerely dream about a working
system of checks and balances like in advanced and civilized countries both
in the East and the West where people can work within the system. Frankly
and openly speaking, there are people who are working, but the system is
not working as it should. In other words, of course, the individual should
do his job, his great duty - raising the nation and strengthening its
confidence and directing it in future, doing everything to this end.

However, in my opinion, the time of such heroic deeds, when everything is
done by few heroic leaders, should be replaced by a system of checks and
balances. Both leaders and people should work within the system. The system
has to work in such a way that everybody is sure that there is no going
back and there can only be movement forward and that the reforms are
irreversible.

For example, in many Western countries, developed democracies, leaders come
and go, governments change extremely often, which is not absolutely right,
however life there follows a normal course, people live and work. Living
standards do not fall, but continuously go up. This is, I repeat, a
democratic system at work - the system which should determine political and
social life in line with the constitution and the law. If we have such a
system we will for sure build, or rather we will be sure that we have built
a law-based and democratic state which does not depend on the will and the
heroic efforts of one or a few leaders, or even some parties, as there will
be a system of balances working. I think you have put a very serious
question.

I dream that we will have a working system of checks and balances, so that
people will believe that the system of balances will be working
irrespective of the level of popularity of one or the other leader, or one
or the other party. In other words, the people will be convinced that their
way of life, their social and public activities and economic activities, if
you like, and all the rest will be improving. There will be no way back;
there will be no cataclysms which could, somehow, cause confrontation
between certain parties or individuals. I think that we have survived that
period. I dream very much that tomorrow no matter whether Karimov is
president or not, whoever comes to power, democracy - what I have done in
the last eight or 10 years - should be beyond any doubt. The system - as it
has been founded and defined by the people, the nation, and the
constitution - will go on and only forward whoever becomes leader. This is
what I expect for the future.

[Question, in Uzbek] What role will today's elections play in the life of
our young people?

[Karimov, in Uzbek] [Passage omitted: young people should strive to a free
and prosperous life; conditions should be created for youth to realize
their potential]

It is necessary to create opportunities for devoted and knowledgeable young
people. Schools of economy and diplomacy should be set up, if need be, so
that in the priority areas of our life young people will be able to hold
seminars or conferences and show their potential and express opinions.
[Passage to end omitted: youth should be involved in carrying out reforms;
more opportunities should be created for them]

Source: Uzbek Radio first programme, Tashkent, in Uzbek 0900 gmt 09 Jan 00
BBC Mon CAU 090100/** BB/SA