Polls close in Uzbekistan parliamentary election

Polls have closed in Uzbekistan's parliamentary elections and vote counting is underway, after a high turnout in Central Asia's most populous nation.

Despite rumors of voter apathy, some 88 percent of those eligible have cast their ballot, according to the country's central election commission.

Candidates from four parties are contesting for 150 seats in Uzbekistan's lower house of parliament, with the election being described as free and fair by Western observers.

President Islam Karimov, who has overseen a tightly-controlled economy, said a high voter turnout showed his policies were popular.

"We have been resilient to the crisis thanks to the timely implementation of our anti-crisis program," Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Karimov as saying after casting his ballot on Sunday.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=114822§ionid=351020406.