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"FREEDOM OF THE HOMELAND IS THE GREATEST HAPPINESS"
Speech at the 15th Session of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan of the first convocation. August 19,1999
Dear deputies,
The 15th session of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the last session of the first calling, is taking place on the eve of a great holiday - the
eighth year of the Independence Day.
Historically eight years are not a long period. But if you make an objective observation, you can easily see how fundamentally our life has changed during
this very short time.
Untruthful and forcible system, that described Uzbekistan as a half colonial country, as the source of raw material supply, that has neglected its national
values and trampled upon its history, language, culture and traditions, has collapsed.
Extremely ideological system, that consisted of functionaries, bureaucrat and lick spittle officials, that has rested on administrative and command style, the
system that treated our people as a humble, subordinate crowd, now is far away in the past.
Today we are creating a solid foundation of a democratic, secular society and a legal state, we are creating the basis of a multi-structured and steadily
developing market oriented economy.
Unique changes are taking place in all the spheres of our life, in towns and cities, villages and kishlaks, in big branches of economy.
To put it in short, the process of renovation and reforms has impacted in reality almost all the sides of our life - political, social and economic, public
and social construction.
But the most important thing, and this we should emphasize separately, is that alongside with these processes we witness how we are changing, our mentality
and our vision of all new things are changing basically.
The most important aspect of all these changes is that people themselves began to shape their future fates, the future of their families, they evaluate their
own capacities and skills; they began to consciously recognize the democratic processes of our life.
On the whole, our nation is the creator of its life and its future. This is the chief progress, and I think we should develop and strengthen the mentality of
the nation.
Dear fellow-countrymen,
Comprehending the period that has elapsed and summing up the achievements, first of all, we should thank the Creator who made it possible to witness these
days and supported us in achieving our noble goals.
During the time that passed away, we together with you, people's deputies, have performed the joint work on the road to the highest and single goal - the
great future of our Homeland, the light future day, well-being of our people, prosperity of the country, attaining deserved prestige and authority on the international arena, glorifying
Uzbekistan and the Uzbek nation.
The most important achievement is the major criteria that our Parliament followed in its first calling activity. In a very complicated situation, when the
multiparty system and various movements, social associations, classes and layers have been emerging, the Oliy Majlis in cooperation with other government structures has functioned as a
solid and reliable guarantee preserving political stability, peace and quietness in the society.
Today we should emphasize with satisfaction that the Oliy Majlis headed the renovation processes in social, political, spiritual and cultural life of the
country. It created the legal basis of reforms and initiated consequent implementation of these tasks.
The five-year report of the Oliy Majlis about its activity that is submitted today, discourses and arguments, evaluations of deputies' reviews, in a word, the
five-year activity of the Oliy Majlis, all measures that have been performed and implemented to increase the authority of our country on the international arena, I think, testify once again
that parliamentarism, a typical characteristic of a democratic country, is emerging in Uzbekistan.
Life and time change dramatically. Our society and the parliament - its component part- are also changing, and deputies are changing too.
Today, my dears, I should like to say to you and to millions of our voters who have trusted us, that all successes that have been achieved by our country and
nation during the passed period is the contribution of our Parliament.
In front of our people, our voters, our own consciousness, you may say that you have performed your duty honestly and deservingly. This I emphasize with great
pride.
Dear people's deputies,
From this platform, I want to exchange views and notes on a very important task that we are facing today.
All of you are aware our country and nation are standing on the threshold of important social and political events. At the current session we should define
the terms of the upcoming presidential elections and the deputies elections to the Oliy Majlis. These elections once again will give us an opportunity to show to the entire World community
our experience in democracy accumulated during the Independence years, implementation of principles of democracy into our life, increase of the political consciousness of our nation, all
this will be an important test.
During election periods various opinions, views, wishes and dreams, expectations, social moods and aspirations of political movements and forces of each
country and in each society are clearly manifested and become obvious.
Taking into account all this, today we should critically evaluate the current situation in the country. We should start from the legal basis that have been
consolidated due to approved laws, that were created during the eight years, first of all, our Constitution and various international standards. We should mobilize our material, spiritual
and intellectual potential to properly go through this huge political test and strengthen the authority of our country.
As far as we are aiming to achieve a noble goal - to create a democratic and legal state, a secular society, we should organize open and free elections that
are the initial criteria of democracy.
I think these issues deserve a more detailed discussion.
Definitely, we have our own Constitution, that is acknowledged by the international organizations and fully meet the demands of democracy. We have our own
laws that reflect generally accepted international standards on the election issues, the positive experience of the advanced democratic countries, perfect regulations and requirements.
Thus, it follows, that our major task is to provide a firm and sound observation of approved laws and requirements of democratic standards.
In this case, we should apply principles of democracy and the positive experience of the developed countries.
We should consider that an important aspect in this experience is how the population and, primarily, the voters treat the elections, the role of elections in
social life, how the elections are prepared and conducted, that have been shaped during decades and sometimes centuries, have passed through many tests and trials.
This implies a detailed analysis, study and conduct of propaganda among voters, use of this progressive experience in training sessions and seminars in
relevant organizations and among active members.
I want to note once again, that increase of nation's and voters' political consciousness, shaped through national legislation and international standards,
increase of political level and culture of voters, comprehension of their constitutional rights is the most important and actual task.
In connection with this, I would like to focus on some negative aspects of our life.
In compliance with the laws approved in the country, during the elections conducted on a multiparty basis, naturally we expect, at least, four or five
candidates for each deputy mandate. Proceeding from this, during the preparation period for elections we should not allow to use unsound fight and to apply illegal actions and also
groundless promises to attract the voters' sympathies.
Elections should not cause division of people into clans, regionalism, favoritism. We should not let emerge such negative manifestations as baseless
undermining, unceremonious actions towards somebody's prestige, insults, arrangement of different "games".
Such qualities of our nation as steadiness, modesty, restraint from glorify an individual. Nobody has any right, who has not been authorized to give ways to
their eloquence, speak out on platforms on behalf of the nation.
An individual who made up his decision to become a deputy may win faith and confidence among his voters only using such qualities as honesty, high morals,
deep knowledge, talents and ability to put nation's interests higher than his own interests.
When we begin to speak about elections and preparation for these elections, we should define a single task that will be used as the major criteria and goal in
all measures to be implemented, and we should achieve it.
The major goal of our election campaign is to create such environment to every voter, irrespective for whom he prefers to vote, whether for the candidate into
the Presidency or the candidate into a deputy's position, he should follow his own will, conscience and belief; he should vote independently and with conscience.
Only in case we achieve this, we may be satisfied with the results of the election.
I think, it is significant to reiterate one important thought. Any party, if it is a political party in its entire meaning, first of all, should, alongside
with a definitely shaped idea, be able to oppose another idea or other people. They should not be scared to do it.
This kind of behavior and approaches should be clear to representatives of all the parties and those people who support these parties.
To put it more clearly, parties' supporters should have good knowledge and clearly cut understanding of what their party is fighting for and against, and they
should have their own position of the problem.
One more thing. No problem can be solved through the system working in spurts and through excessive lauding of the current policy. All of us should have good
understanding that making various appearances on platforms and abstract speeches at meetings, you can not grow a tree or build a house.
That's why we should critically approach to our life, make thorough analysis of social and political reality, express really well considered opinions, well
thought-out conclusions on important issues, that our nation is interested to have today - whether these are political or government and society management issues or how to improve living
standards. After grounding these issues, it is necessary to attract the wide public opinion to your side, to fight for ideas, that serve first and foremost our national interests and could
be converted into applicable force.
I wish success to all our parties at the coming elections, and I would like them learn one truth: the history of political fights shows that many parties in
the world gained "fame" in various scandals, but you should win fame and authority by your constructive work.
Of course, in this extremely important and responsible event as elections you, in no case, should be acting in haste.
Once again, I'm reiterating: in case of need, you should address the world experience, increase and expand explanatory work, arrange meetings and seminars
with participation of international representations, organizations and the wide masses of the Republic.
It is the important task of mass media to present a detailed and clearly highlighted information of these processes to the population.
During the elections we should avoid flows and blemishes that remained from the Soviet era. In many instances unqualified interference of local governments,
idle talk result in violation of legal requirements.
Every voter should approach this process consciously and understand that his vote is significant for the life of the society and the state, for its future and
huge voter's responsibility is placed on him. It should be different from the previous periods when an individual thought that his task was to throw into a ballot-box voting papers of the
whole family.
Summing up what have been said, it is necessary to underline that our major task is to provide priority principles of democracy and proceeding from positive
experience accumulated during previous elections, we should not repeat previous mistakes and errors.
Dear friends,
All our activity and aspiration, intentions and skills are directed to facilitate the life of our hard working and kind hearted nation and provide more
radiant future.
Whatever work we've performed, whatever hardships we've suffered to create the happiness and well-bring of our nation - still this is not enough. Our nation
deserves all this happiness.
Our favorite writer Said Akhmad once said: "Uzbek people's nature attracts everyone who has ever experienced the kindness of this nation, you win love
this nation for all your life. Our land is a holy land and the person who has once got to know the warmth of this land, will be indebted and stay true to this land."
Therefore, each of us should be very proud of being a part of this hard working nation, that saves and increases the legacy of our great ancestors, shapes own
national values using their life-giving writings and this way educates the young generation. It is our debt and honor to worship it.
I have one more thought I want to share with you.
I'm happy I've been all my life with my nation, was respected and honored by my nation, could be useful and help my people.
A person may rightfully be happy if in this life he could do a great favor for widows and orphans, could assist support than, and facilitate fate of people.
However, not everyone is destined, at the turning point of history, to protect the whole nation from unjust abasement and insult, to induce to
self-consciousness, increase its spiritual life, to call to life with a high lifted head, to lead to grand goals, and putting it in plain language, to take it to freedom and independence.
This fell to my lot to have this fate. For me it is a great happiness and honor. That's why, I say there is not more happiness for me than the freedom of my
Homeland, well-being of my nation, prosperity of the country, and each separate family inhabiting this holy land.
I've cherished a wish, that I cannot but open today. As time passes, I'm getting old as other people do, life is passing through. As I'm busy solving
government issues, complicated and difficult everyday problems, that need their solution, I sometimes regret about one thing.
My biggest wish is to meet with ordinary and common people, to visit their families, that face current difficulties, to talk with fathers and mothers in the
families, with veterans who experienced grief and happiness, to meet with youth who are making their first steps in life.
I'd like to share the happy days with these families. When I meet people and talk to them and when I say I would be happy if they invite me to celebrations of
their family events, these are not mere words.
Thus, during meetings with our young men and girls who are having their training in the famous educational centers of the United States of America, I've asked
them to invite me to their wedding parties, this came from the bottom of my heart.
Dear friends, dear fellow-countrymen,
Let me express my thanks for your work, that has been performed by a friendly and united group of people, for your support, for all your efforts and activity,
directed to gain prosperity of our nation and the Homeland.
I'm proud, I've been working with this kind of self-sacrificing people like you. I'm proud that among you I have many people who became very close and dear to
me.
My dear fellow-countrymen, be always healthy for the happiness of our country!
Once again I congratulate you and through you all our nation upon the approaching holiday which is a very dear and great holiday - the Independence Day.
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