The FINANCIAL — According to RIA Novosti, Uzbekistan's Central Election Commission (CEC) said Sunday's parliamentary election is over.
The voter turnout was about 88% of the population, or some 15.1 million people.
CEC chairman Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov said the results will be announced on December 28.
Uzbekistan voted on Sunday in the election to the lower house of parliament, with 517 candidates contesting 150 seats in the ex-Soviet republic's legislature.
Over 270 observers from 36 countries and representatives of four international missions were monitoring the polls.
The number of seats in the lower house of Uzbekistan's bicameral parliament was increased last December from 120 to 150, with 15 seats reserved for election by the country's Ecological Movement.
Almost equal numbers of candidates represented the Adolat Social Democratic Party (123), the Milliy Tiklanish Democratic Party (125), the Liberal Democratic Party (135) and the People's Democratic Party (134). All the four parties currently have seats in the Oliy Majlis.
In an interview with the Central Asia Online edition, Veronica Szente Goldston, Human Rights Watch Advocacy Director for Europe and Central Asia, described the election campaign in Uzbekistan as oppressed by the government.
Uzbekistan's top election body earlier on Sunday declared the election in the ex-Soviet republic valid.
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