Photo: senat.uz
The Senate of Uzbekistan’s Oliy Majlis (the upper house of parliament) has approved a law aimed at expanding the guaranteed rights of the parliamentary opposition. According to the Senate’s press service, one key provision grants opposition parties the right to propose amendments to draft legislation.
Under the new law, political factions that declare themselves part of the parliamentary opposition will have the right to submit alternative versions of draft normative acts or components of such legislation before the second reading in parliament.
Opposition organizations are also now entitled to hold leadership positions in the Legislative Chamber (lower house) of the Oliy Majlis. Specifically, they may appoint one committee chair and two deputy committee chairs. In addition, opposition parties are allowed to submit quarterly parliamentary inquiries and raise topics for discussion during the “government hour” sessions.
The authors of the initiative noted that they examined the legislative frameworks of about 20 countries while drafting the bill, including Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Portugal.
Senators emphasized that the law is intended to enhance the effectiveness of the legislative process, strengthen parliamentary oversight, and expand the guaranteed rights of the opposition in the lower house.
They also stated that, in recent years, Uzbekistan has fostered an environment that promotes freedom of speech and established legal foundations for the unrestricted expression of political will and public interests. Efforts have been made to strengthen the role of political parties in society.
In May 2025, the parliamentary faction of the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan declared itself an opposition party, citing disagreement with the government’s agenda or parts of its program. The announcement came after members of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party “Milliy Tiklanish” (“National Revival”) formed a joint “Progressive Bloc.” With 93 members, this alliance now holds the parliamentary majority.
