Excerpt from report by Uzbek TV on 5th December

[Correspondent] How active are voters throughout the republic [Uzbekistan]?
[Sherzod Qudratkhojayev, the head of the press service of the Central
Electoral Commission to camera at CEC headquarters] It is possible to draw
the conclusion that the elections held in Uzbekistan are distinguished by
their unprecedented turnout. It is possible to give the information for
1800 [local time] [1300 gmt] that, as of this moment, the electorate of
Uzbekistan has cast its votes and the turnout is about 90 per cent. I think
that it will be much higher when the polling stations close at 2000 [local
time] [1500 gmt].

[passage to end omitted: elections are an important political event of this
year]

Source: Uzbek Television first channel, Tashkent, in Russian 1430 gmt 05 Dec
99
BBC Mon CAU 051299/** JF/MA