Excerpts from report by the Uzbek newpaper 'Adolat'
[Newspaper headline] Our high goal ias to build a just
democratic society

The independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan proclaimed
eight years ago is recorded in gold letters in the country's
chronology as a historic event. Eight years is a short time for
history. But within that short period, under difficult
conditions, our republic has covered a complicated but glorious
path which would have taken dozens of years. Over this period,
a number of political parties and movements have emerged in our
country and today they are working to occupy a deserved place
in the republic's political, economic and spiritual life.
The Adolat Social-Democratic party of Uzbekistan is also
an organization formed thanks to independence. We asked the
first secretary of the party's political council, a deputy of
the Supreme Assembly, Tutghunpolat Daminov, to answer a few
questions.

[Q] Turghunpolat Obidovich, independence made it possible
to form the party which you lead, did it not?

[A] It is difficult to imagine any of the great creative
deeds carried out in our Uzbekistan today without this great
gift to our people - independence. This also applies to the
Adolat Social-Democratic party of Uzbekistan which is a product
of independence.

It is well-known from history that a one-party system can
only have negative impact on society. The domination of one
party led to the formation of a political system with features
of authoritarianism and totalitarianism. Taking the CPSU for
example - in the end this resulted in the ruin of democracy and
alienation of people from the power and the power from the
people.

[passage omitted: the definition of a political party as
set in the Uzbek Law on Political Parties]

Well, when did political parties emerge in Uzbekistan?
Looking back at the last eight years, we can see that a legal
basis has been created first of all for the formation of
political parties in the republic. The Constitution of the
Republic of Uzbekistan, such laws as On Public Organizations
and On Political Parties served as basis for the formation of
public political organizations.

In the first instance, the People's Democratic of
Uzbekistan was formed, Vatan Taraqqiyoti, Adolat
Social-Democratic, Milliy Tiklanish, Fidokorlar parties came to
life gradually as a result of independence and democracy.
A multiparty system is an inviolable feature of a civil
and democratic society. Goals, needs and wishes of various
social and political groups in society can only be recognized
under conditions of a multiparty system. Legalization of
multiparty principles creates a regular competition between all
political parties and tendencies in society.

[Q] Every party takes part in the country's social and
political life and its work is assessed by its contribution to
the development of a democratic society. What work is your
party doing in this area?

[A] Our party is doing everything to contribute to
building a just and democratic society in the country. The
party's major goal is to further strengthen the country's
independence, build a law-governed democratic society of
justice and contribute to Uzbekistan taking a deserved place
among the most developed countries of the world.
Our organization relies on the middle and needy sections
of the population and tries to express their political and
social wills. It helps with the social protection of the
poverty-stricken sections of the population and protects and
sticks to principles of social justice.

Life shows that in a state with democratic principles of a
multiparty system, the state is correctly ruled along the path
of democracy. We, therefore, find it reasonable that in our
political system, in holding elections to the Supreme Assembly
and local governing bodies, work is based on multiparty system
principles. The running of a state on the basis of opposition
is the best tested principle meeting the people's interests.
This means cooperating with people and promoting the
realization of their aspirations.

The party which is greatly involved with the people can
hope for victory in the forthcoming elections. From that point
of view all Regional and District councils of Adolat
Social-Democratic party and the party activists in the Regions
are carrying out special work. The primary party organizations
are growing in number. They are taking part in various
undertakings together with local governments, neighbourhoods
and non-state organizations.

At the time of its formation there were 6,000 party
members while at present their number has reached nearly 30,000.

We admit to the party people who are faithful to the ideas of
independence, working hard for the motherland and people and
the great future, spiritually developed and politically aware
people.

Our party members are taking an active part in carrying
out the current political, social and economic reforms.

[Q] What else are you planning to do in this sense?

[A] One of our major tasks at present is to intensify the
party's work in the Supreme Assembly and raise it to the level
of party factions as in countries with a developed
parliamentary democracy. One of the significant tasks is to
draw up and carry out measures to take an active part in the
forthcoming elections. Currently, the party is outlining its
pre-election platform. Along with holding reporting
conferences, preparations are under way for another party
congress. We are also taking measures to organizationally
strengthen the Surkhandarya, Navoiy and Fergana Regional party
councils.

Every person should work towards strengthening his party.
A party member should have strong feelings of patriotism. At
present the main role of the party is, in particular, to raise
people's political thinking and making them politically active.
As our President Islam Karimov said, every person should know
his own place in society and feel himself an inviolable part of
it.
 
Source: 'Adolat', Tashkent, in Uzbek 30 Jul 99 p1
BBC Mon CAU 040899/** AJBA/MV