PRAGUE -- A member of a pro-presidential political party in Uzbekistan has harshly criticized the party chairman and the election process after she was not allowed to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reports.
Komila Sodiqova, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from Asaka, a town in the eastern Andijon Province, told RFE/RL that the regional LDP chairman rejected her candidacy for the December 27 elections despite the fact that she applied on time and provided all necessary documents.
Sodiqova said she was told that one must apply as a candidate for elections one year before the campaign officially starts.
She said that she was also told that the list of candidates for the elections has already been made.
Sodiqova said she has not received a reply from Uzbekistan's Central Election Commission regarding the unexplained refusal to list her as a candidate.
She added that although she has never met President Islam Karimov, she does not think he is aware of the level of political corruption in Uzbekistan.
She added that if Karimov would find out about the corruption committed by some people he would "kick their asses."
Sodiqova said she is going to file a lawsuit against her party chairman.
Uzbekistan has never held presidential or parliamentary elections that were deemed free and fair by Western-based international monitoring organizations.