TASHKENT, JUL 26: Elections to the parliament and local councils in Uzbekistan will be held on 27 October. The election campaign starts from 26 July, the Central election commission announced. Elections of the deputies of the Legislative chamber and the senators of Uzbekistan, as well as deputies of local (regional, city and district) councils will be held on 27 October, the Central election commission announced on Friday.

The elections date — the last Sunday of October — is set in the Constitution. The election campaign starts from 26 July — three months prior to the elections.

The slogan of this year’s campaign is “My choice is my prospering Motherland”, the commission said. The voters will elect 150 deputies of the parliament’s lower chamber and 56 member of the upper chamber, as well as 65 deputies of the Joqargy kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and deputies of the 12 regional, Tashkent city and 208 district and city (town) kengashes (councils).

A total of about 30,000 candidates and some 90,000 of their trusted representatives are expected to participate in the elections.

More than 120,000 member of election commissions and over 70,000 local and foreign observers will also participate in the process.

For the first time, the elections will be held on a mixed (majority and proportional) system: 75 deputies of the Legislative chamber should be elected from one-mandate districts on majority (voting) system, and other 75 on a proportional basis, that is based on votes gained by political parties (on party lists).

Previously, elections in Uzbekistan had been held on majority system, where winners were candidates who gained most votes in their districts.