Excerpts from report by Uzbek TV on 9th January

Good afternoon, esteemed compatriots. As we reported earlier, there is very
intense going on at the press conference centre of the Central Electoral
Commission [CEC] at this very moment. We have familiarized you with the
results of the morning in the first live report. Our special correspondent
Husan Ermatov reports from the press centre. Please, Husan-aka [polite form
of address].

[Passage omitted: The correspondent says a live TV connection will be made
to the news conference in the CEC's press centre to familiarize the viewers
with the elections results by 1600 local time (1100gmt), ask for the
connection to be made, the chairman of the news conference, Sherzodkhon
Qudratkhojayev, opens the conference in Uzbek and Russian and gives floor
to the Chairman of the CEC, Najmiddin Komilov]

[Najmiddin Komilov in Uzbek] Good afternoon, again, dear ladies and
gentlemen. I would like to familiarize you with the information received by
the CEC by 1600 hours. In total, 12,732,896 were registered as voters of
which 10, 436, 258 have so far cast their votes or, if one turns this
[figure] into percentage, 81.96 [as given] per cent of the voters have cast
their votes. So, one can conclude that elections in Uzbekistan can be
deemed valid.

[Passage omitted: The news conference chairman reads the results in Russian]

[Najmiddin Komilov] Over 50 per cent of voters have cast their votes in all
Regions. No cases of absence of elections were observed in any constituency
and electoral districts, high turnout of voters was observed in all
constituencies and all electoral districts and so forth. One can conclude
that the presidential elections have ended today. I would like to
congratulate you on this great event.

[Passage omitted: the news conference chairman translates the above in
Russian]

[Komilov] However, voters are still coming [to polling stations to cast
their vote]. We will inform you on how many more voters have turned up in
our next - [does not specify what saying a word in Uzbek replacing all
nouns, "nimalar".]

[Passage omitted: the news conference chairman says the same in Russian]
[Komilov] Thank you for your attention, if you have questions, please, [ask
them].

[The news conference chairman in Russian] Thank you for your attention. I
would like to note that the present news conference is being covered by
both local and foreign media. In particular, four Uzbek TV channels and
Uzbek radio are broadcasting [the news conference]. Please, the first
question- [pauses] [by the Russian newspaper] 'Argumenty i Fakty'

[A man in Russian] AiF-Novosti [news agency], Moscow. (?Chernogayev). Mr.
Komilov, the figures you have just said are simply showing a remarkable
turnout of the electorate. It caused some scepticism amongst my foreign
colleagues when such a high turnout was seen during the parliamentary
elections [on 5th December, 1999]. We are now congratulating you on such a
remarkable achievement of democracy but nevertheless, how will you explain
such a high turnout?

[Komilov] I will answer in Uzbek, then Sherzodkhon [Qudratkhojayev] will
translate. Well, the question is very meaningful indeed. First, I will
thank the person who asked the question. The meaning of it is that some of
our journalists observing the elections express some doubts over the
voters' activity in Uzbekistan. They say that the turnout figures reach
[only] 60 per cent, for example, in some countries and sometimes 50 per
cent, 55 per cent, and why yours reach 90 per cent, 80 per cent. The is
talk of whether [the figures] have been artificially created.
I categorically deny these things, there is no such artificiality. Perhaps,
this happens thanks to the trait characteristic of our people.

[Passage omitted: the news conference chairman translates the above]

[Komilov] Our people, really turn up in the elections specially prepared.
The trait has existed for a long time. Every member of the family considers
elections to be an important civic duty before themselves, an important
duty before the motherland and people. And our people get up early in the
morming on polling day to fulfill their duty. They wait for polling day for
several days and feel it to be their good quality and their duty to come to
the polling station to cast their votes on the day

[Passage omitted: the news conference chairman translates the above, Komilov
says people spoke only about the elections during the election compaign
which shows that people are interested in elections, the news conference
chairman translates this]

[Komilov] I would like to say one more thing. I believe that this happened
not only owing to the trait originating from our people's mentality but
perhaps because the election compaign was well organized and also thanks to
the important contribution by media.

[Passage omitted: the news conference chairman translates the above, Komilov
says the presidential candidates' election compaigns influenced people
much, this proves that people think of their country's fate and their
future and this resulted in high turnout figures, the news conference
chairman translates this. Answering a question put by a man, who identified
himself as a correspondent of the Russian ITAR-TASS agency, Komilov says
there were no violations registered by the hour]

[A woman in Uzbek] Dilfuza Karimova, the Grand TV and radio studio [as heard
- probably Uzbek FM radio station] Esteemed Chairman. You have received a
number of foreign observers as far back as yesterday. It is very important
both for journalists and for all our people which is why we are thinking of
this again. What impressions about our people and our state have they
spoken about in conversations with you? Did they express any wish? This is
my first question. Then, how do you, as the chairman, assess media's
coverage of the election process?

[Komilov] I will start by answering your second question. I am satisfied
with the way the media in Uzbekistan covered the election process because
all Uzbek TV and radio channels, newspapers and other media are actively
covering the election process and [covered] the election compaign. I am
very pleased with our journalists.

I can say, answering the second question, that foreign observers, whom we
received yesterday and who arrived in our country from many countries, went
to all Regions and observed our elections with their own eyes today. They
visited electoral districts, constituencies. Many of them telephoned me,
personally me and the CEC, and a part of those who were in Tashkent came to
the CEC and shared their impressions [with me].

[The news conference chairman translates the above and says that observers
positively assessed the elections]

[Komilov] I think that representatives of international observers must also
be here amongst us. They may have already familiarized themselves with
today's elections process in Tashkent. If they are here, I will give them
the floor. Here, Mr Boris Kandov from the USA observed the elections in
Tashkent today. He may now let his impressions be known.

[Boris Kandov in Russian] Thank you, President [corrects himself], Chairman.
I want to express some of my observations. [Uzbek] society is consolidating and facing the choice of their future. I
think this can only be explained by such a high turnout of voters.
In the last few days we have visited several Uzbek regions such as Andizhan
[eastern Uzbekistan], Bukhara [southern Uzbekistan], Samarkand [central
Uzbekistan] and Tashkent. We understood from conversations with voters and
people responsible for holding the elections that Uzbekistan's people are
choosing their future, their children's future and their grandchildren's
future.

I think that international observers represented here may agree with me that
no violations were noticed today during the election compaign which we
observed.

[Passage to end omitted: Kandov speaks on the development of voting, turnout
figures in some regions exceeded 90 per cent, people take the presidential
elections seriously, dwells on Uzbekistan's economic achievements,
democratization and in its foreign policy; Kamilov thanks him, the TV
correspondent completes the live report saying the country is placing great
hopes on the elections]

Source: Uzbek Television first channel, Tashkent, in Uzbek 1100 gmt 09 Jan
00
BBC Mon CAU 090100/** AJBA/DG