The following is the text of biographies of four presidential candidates of Uzbekistan as published in the Uzbek newspaper Khalq Sozi on 21 November.

Asliddin Ashurboyevich Rustamov

A candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Uzbekistan nominated from the National Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (NDPU).

Asliddin Ashurboyevich Rustamov was born on 22 January 1962, in Payariq District of Samarqand Region, in a family of civil servants; Uzbek, has higher education. He graduated from the Samarqand State University and obtained Master’s Degree at the Tashkent State Economics University. He is a teacher - philologist by profession and has Master’s Degree in international finance and credit relations.

In 1983 Rustamov started his professional activity as a teacher at school No 53 of Payariq District. In 1990-1992 he worked as an inspector, head of a branch, head of a department at Samarqand regional committee of Uzbek youth union. From 1992 to 1994 he worked as a teacher at school No 25 of Payariq District.

In 1994 he worked at Samarqand regional council of the NDPU. The same year he was sent to the central office of the party where worked as a senior consultant, deputy head of the organizational department till 1998.

Rustamov worked as head of a department, secretary of the board of directors at the Turonbank joint-stock commercial bank.

In 1999 he was elected a secretary of the Central Council of the party and in 2003-2005 was head of the Central Council of the NDPU.

In 2004 Rustamov was elected a member of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis [parliament] of Uzbekistan. From 2005 he worked as head of the NDPU’s faction at the Legislative Chamber of the parliament, a member of the committee on labour and social issues.

From July, 2007 he is a deputy speaker of the Legislative Chamber at the Uzbek parliament. He is married, a father of four children. His wife is I. Ostonaqulova. She is a teacher at secondary school No 63 in Tashkent city.

Rustamov is awarded Dostlik (Friendship) honour for his achievements in strengthening piece, international friendship and harmony in the country, as well as consolidating ideas of humanism and goodness, mercy and generosity.

Dilorom Gofurjonovna Toshmuhammadova

A candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Uzbekistan nominated from the Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party (ASDP).

Dilorom Gofurjonovna Toshmuhammadova was born in 1962, in Tashkent Region, in a family of civil servants. She is Uzbek. In 1978 Toshmuhammadova finished secondary school and in 1984 graduated from the Tashkent State Medical Institute. For over 10 years she was involved in research work and teaching at the abovementioned institute. In 1993 she obtained PhD in medicine and in 1994 established her private firm "Farmed".

In 2003 Toshmuhammadova graduated from interstate and foreign economic relations faculty at the presidential Academy of State and Public Construction and obtained Master’s Degree in international relations.

From 2001 to 2004 she was a member of the Oliy Majlis [parliament] of Uzbekistan and in 2004 was elected a member of the Legislative Chamber of Uzbek parliament, a member of committee on international issues and interparliamentary relations.

In 2005 Toshmuhammadova was elected first secretary of political council of the ASDP and head of the party’s faction at the parliament.

In July 2007 she became a deputy speaker at the Legislative Chamber of the parliament.

She actively takes part in legislative, supervisory and analytical activities of the parliament, in creating a stable legislative basis for further democratisation and liberalization of the society, implementing wide scale reforms in the country. As a head of parliamentary fraction she has been protecting the interests of members of the party and its supporters.

Toshmuhammadova is the author of a number of scientific articles dedicated to medicine; implementing social and political reforms in the country; developing multi-party system and democratic institutes; improving the activity of the Legislative Chamber of the parliament; raising the role of women in social life.

She is married, a mother of four children. Her husband is R. Toshmuhammadov. He is head of a private enterprise.

Toshmuhammadova was awarded the Dostlik honour in 2006.

Akmal Kholmatovich Saidov

Akmal Kholmatovich Saidov is a candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Uzbekistan nominated from an initiative group of voters.

Akmal Kholmatovich Saidov was born in 1958 in Tashkent Region’s Yangiyol District, Uzbek, has higher education. He graduated from the faculty of law of the [former] Tashkent State University. He is a Doctor of Law.

In 1985-89, he worked as a senior research fellow and the head of a department at the Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences.

From 1989 to 1990 he was the chairman of the committee of youth organizations of Uzbekistan.

During 1990-91 he was the director of the Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences.

Between 1991 and 1993 he was the director of the institute of global issues under the president of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In 1993-94 he was the rector of the Tashkent State Institute of Law.

He was the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan to France, and at the same time was the permanent representative of Uzbekistan at UNESCO in 1994-96.

As of November 1996, Saidov is the director of the Uzbek National Centre for Human Rights.

In 1997 he was elected a member to the Oliy Majlis [parliament] of Uzbekistan.

Since 2000, Saidov is the chairman of the committee on democratic institutions, non-governmental organizations and local governments of the parliament’s Legislative Chamber of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Married, with two children. His wife - L. Saidova - is a professional lawyer, has a doctoral degree in law.

Akmal Saidov has been directly involved in activities on developing laws, which support creating a legal framework for civil society. During the parliamentary elections in 1999 and 2004, he established a centre for supporting independent candidates, and arranged the centre’s participation in the election campaigns along with political parties.

He has been involved in activities of various UN conferences on human rights, OSCE meetings on human dimension, various events within the framework of the Uzbekistan-EU partnership and cooperation agreement.

Akmal Saidov is a professor of international and comparative law; a member of several foreign and international law societies; author of books, research works and articles on jurisprudence. He has been awarded with the "Mehnat Shuhrati" [Glory to Labour] and "Dostlik" [Friendship] honours.

Islam Abduganievich Karimov

A candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Uzbekistan nominated from the movement of entrepreneurs and business people - the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (LDPU).

Islam Abduganievich Karimov was born on 30 January 1938, in the town of Samarqand, in a family of civil servants. He is Uzbek, has higher education. He graduated from the Central Asian Polytechnic Institute and the Tashkent State Economics University (former Tashkent Institute of National Economy), and obtained such specialities as mechanical engineer and economist. Karimov has PhD in economics.

He started his professional activity in 1960 at the Tashselmash (Tashkent Agricultural Machinery) plant. From 1961 to 1966 he was an engineer, principal engineer designer at the Tashkent Aviation Construction Production Association named after Chkalov.

In 1966 began working at the State Planning Committee of the Uzbek SSR (former Soviet Socialist Republic), from a chief specialist he was promoted to the post of a deputy chairman of the country’s State Planning Committee.

In 1983 Karimov was appointed finance minister of Uzbek SSR, in 1986 a deputy chairman of the Ministers’ Council of the Uzbek SSR and chairman of the State Planning Committee of the country.

From 1986 to1989 he was the first secretary of Qashqadaryo regional committee of the (communist) party, and from June 1989 the first secretary of the Central Committee of Uzbek Communistic Party.

On 24 March 1990 at a session of Supreme Council of the Uzbek SSR, Islam Karimov was elected the president of the Uzbek SSR.

On 31 August 1991 he proclaimed state independence of Uzbekistan.

On 29 December 1991 during national elections that were held on alternative basis, Karimov was elected the president of Uzbekistan.

On the results of a nationwide referendum held on 26 March 1995 Karimov’s presidential term was extended till 2000.

On the results of alternative election held in 2000 and in line with amendments introduced into the Constitution, Karimov was elected the president of Uzbekistan for seven years.

Married, with two daughters and four grandchildren. His wife is Tatyana Karimova. She is an economist by profession, has PhD in economics, worked as senior research fellow at the institute of economics of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences. Currently retired.

For outstanding contributions to establishing sovereign and independent Uzbekistan, creating humane democratic and law governed state, ensuring peace and national harmony, and for demonstrating firmness and courage Karimov was given the Ozbekiston Qahramoni (Hero of Uzbekistan) honour. He was awarded the Mustaqillik (Independence) and Amir Temur honours.

Karimov was also awarded honourary ranks, orders and medals of a number of states and famous international organizations.

Karimov is a member of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences.

For his great contribution to the development of the economy, science and education he was elected honoured doctor of science of a number of universities and an honoured academician of academies of sciences of various foreign states.

Source: BBC Monitoring