Over 19.66 million registered voters are expected to exercise their right to vote and choose the country's new President for the next seven years.

Zainiddin Nizamkhojaev, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), assured during a press briefing in Tashkent on Saturday that the elections would be conducted with transparency and that all necessary arrangements had been completed.

To ensure the openness and transparency of the electoral process, international observers and journalists have been granted unrestricted access to polling stations and are allowed to observe the voting process tomorrow, according to the CEC.

A total of 797 foreign observers and journalists have been accredited to monitor the elections, the CEC stated.

The CEC also disclosed that there are four main candidates vying for the presidency in Uzbekistan. These candidates include:

• Ulugbek Ilyasovich INOYATOV, the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan
• Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev, the Presidential Candidate of the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen – Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan
• Robakhon Anvarovna MAKHMUDOVA, the Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party Adolat of Uzbekistan
• Abdushukur Khudoykulovich KHAMZAEV, the Presidential Candidate of the Ecological Party of Uzbekistan

The elections will be held from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time. Voters will need to present their national identification cards or passports in order to vote.

The results of the elections are expected to be announced on July 10, 2023. (ILKHA)