The presidential elections in Uzbekistan has been pronounced valid. "Some 9.8 million people, or 59.8 percent of registered voters went to the polls by 12.00 local time. This circumstance grants the right to pronounce the presidential elections as valid," Itar-Tass reported on Sunday at the press centre according to Uzbek Central Election Commission. Under the law on presidential elections in Uzbekistan, they are regarded as valid if over 33 percent of people out of nearly 16.3 million registered voters go to the polls. According to CEC chairman Mirzo-Ulugbek Abdusalomov, "until now, the Central Election Commission has not received any information on any violations of election legislation". The polling stations will close at 20.00 local time. Preliminary election results will be announced on December 24 at 16.00, and the CEC will report the final results by January 3, 2008. The Uzbek president is elected for a seven-year term. Since more than two candidates contest the presidency this time, the winner is to gain over half the vote. If this is not the case, a run-off will take place with the participation of two candidates who collected the greatest numbers of votes. The winner is to gain a simple majority of voters. The CEC registered as presidential candidates incumbent head of state Islam Karimov, nominated by the Uzbek Liberal Democratic Party, Asliddin Rustamov by the Uzbek People's Democratic Party and Dilor Tashmukhamedov by the Uzbek Social Democratic Party. A sponsoring group of citizens nominated Akmal Saidov as a presidential candidate. Karimov is an undisputable leader of the presidential race who has been running the country since 1989.
