Akhmed Bilalov, deputy chairman of the Duma committee for CIS affairs and contacts with compatriots, said after a meeting with leadership of the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan that Russian parliamentarians will observe the election in this country and learn from it. "Every country has its own experience," he said. "There are things Russia can teach other countries, but Uzbekistan also has something to impart to others."

Russian parliamentarians were received at the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan on Wednesday. Duma deputies listened with interest to a report on innovations in the national electoral legislation delivered by Sajera Khodzhayeva. They found the idea of voting bulletins in the Russian, Karakalpak, Tajik, and languages of other diasporas particularly interesting. (In Russia, all bulletins are only printed in Russian.) The guests in their turn spoke of parliamentarism in Russia and organization of elections in other CIS countries. The sides discussed a broad spectrum of issues including the role of foreign observers in elections and world standards of the universal suffrage.

"We hope to continue our cooperation even when the elections are over," Bilalov said. "Relations between the parliaments of Russia and Uzbekistan are on the level of relations between our governments. A great deal has to be done yet, and appearance of a parliament of two houses in Uzbekistan will provide the necessary impetus."

About 150 foreign specialists are expected in Uzbekistan for the parliamentary election. According to the Central Election Commission, the OSCE increased the number of its observers to 24 and already dispatched them to Tashkent, Nukus, Samarkand, Bukhara, Ferghana, Termez, and Karshi. Three observers from the CIS Executive Committee are already in Uzbekistan, and about 60 experts more are expected yet. The Shanghai Organization of Cooperation will send 3 observers and European Parliament 4. Representatives of the Central Election Commission say that the election will be observed by almost 50,000 representatives of local political parties, initiative groups, and the media.

"Democracy does not have universal formulae to be applied to all countries," Sherzod Kudratkhodzhayev of the Press Center of the Central Election Commission said. "Every country chooses its own way, and Uzbekistan has chosen its model. A look at phases of democratization reveals that several progressive innovations are introduced into the legislation on the eve of every next election. This is evolutionary development. We respect experience of other countries and recommendations from international institutions but we are not initiating democratic changes to be praised from abroad. We are initiating them because we need them for the sake of the people and democratic development of the country."