Participatory Local Democracy

For general information about the country profiles click here.

Population: 29,774,500

HDI ranking: 114/187

HDI score:  0.654

The process of decentralization in Uzbekistan began in 2003. The organs of executive power are still trying to transfer functions to lower levels of government and meanwhile decentralize certain social welfare functions to the community level (UNPAN, 2004).

Local governance at a glance

• The country is divided into 12 provinces, one autonomous republic, and one independent city. Those 12 provinces are led by provincial governors selected by the president (UNPAN, 2004).
• Autonomous Republic of Qaraqalpog’iston as the only autonomous unit in Uzbekistan has its own Constitution and supreme organs of state power (UCLG, 2006).
• The organs of executive power are organized in hierarchical centralization structure along the vertical of executive power (UCLG, 2006).
• The organs of local power are subordinated to higher executive power in implementation of the administrative functions (UCLG, 2006).
• There are different types of territorial units involving in self-government activities including villages, kishlaks, auls and mahallas (UNPAN, 2004).
• The system of public administration in Uzbekistan is made up of two tiers, central and local (UNPAN, 2004).
• Women in Uzbekistan should not be less than 30% quota of the total number of candidates for the election nominated by a political party (Quota Project, 2013).

Civil society actors include

• National Association of NGOs of Uzbekistan (NANGOUz) is a group of citizens participating in human right development, aims to enhance the effectiveness of NGOs in the country.
• Mahallya is an organ of self-government of citizens made up of 15 to 1500 families assisting in local executive power (UCLG, 2006).

Capacity building institutions

• Committee on Democratic Institutions, NGOs and Civil Society is consisting of representatives of state authorities, NGOs, and experts encouraging local access to participatory democracy in Uzbekistan.
• The Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan is organized by more than three million of individuals emphasizing women rights and developing the participation of women in government and business.

Fiscal control

• Local state organs have the power to establish and collect local taxes and payments. However, maximum rates of taxes and payments are determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan (UCLG, 2006).
• The share of local budges expenditures are around 55% of general state expenditures (UCLG, 2006).

Key initiatives for participatory local governance

• The new system of local state government has been formed during the period from 1991 to 2002 where the institution of hokims has been created and legal basis for the development of local self-government has been developed (UCLG, 2006).
• In 2000, the Government of Uzbekistan declared the public sector reform as a priority which included transferring functions to local levels of government and decentralizing certain social welfare functions to the community level (UNDP 2013).
• In 2003, the administrative reform has been launched. Many functions have been devolved to local state bodies (UCLG, 2006).
• In 2005, Uzbekistan formed a two-chamber parliament and certain functions of the government were transferred to other power bodies (UNDP, 2013).

Challenges for participatory local governance

• Local governors are still determined by presidential appointment and ruled in a non-democratic way (Olcott, 2004).
• The role of local representative bodies remains weak for the Law “On Local State Organs” does not specify their powers and conditions of organizational and resource provision of their activities (UNLG, 2006).
• The Government of Uzbekistan is still working on a number of development issues including double subordination of territorial departments and subdivisions of ministries both by local authorities and line ministries; and duplication of functions of departments within local governments (UNDP, 2013).

Recent posts on this website about this country:

• Social research on transformation in developing countries : results of interdisciplinary PhD-school participants (2003)

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List of sources (in order of citation):

United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN), 2004: “Republic of Uzbekistan Public Administration Country Profile”

UCLG, 2006: “UCLG Country Profiles: Republic of Uzbekistan”

QuotaProject, 2013: “Uzbekistan”

United Nations Development Programme in Uzbekistan (UNDP), 2013: “Local Governance Support: Participation and Partnership project”

Martha Brill Olcott, 2004: “Uzbekistan: Stifled Democracy, Human Rights in Decline”