FEATURES OF FORMATION AND PHASED IMPLEMENTATION OF DEMOCRATIZATION ELEMENTS IN UZBEK SOCIETY AT THE PRESENT STAGE

Аннотация

This article provides an overview analysis of the specifics of phased implementation of democratization elements in Uzbek society during the post-Soviet period, based on a comparison with generally accepted global practices, since the beginning of Sh.M. Mirziyoyev's first presidential term. The strengthening of society's influence on key processes in the country is examined in stages, starting from the formation stage under strict administrative andmanagerial control, continuing with measures to liberalizeall aspects of social arrangements, and concluding with planned tasks to strengthen public oversight of state apparatus activities. The article separately addresses the features of reforming official information policy in the context of its importance as a tool for interaction and dialogue between the government and the electorate. It also touches upon the characteristics of state reform policy. The text outlines conditions for aligning citizens' legal competence with key democratic requirements of a constructive nature - positioning themselves as full-fledged citizens and utilizing mechanisms to protect their own rights and freedoms, as well as creating conditions for the free expression of theircivicpositionand independent opinion. Keywords: democratization, sovereignty, constitution, multi-party system, parliamentarism, modernization,civil society, ruleof law, NTT, mass media, publicoversight, publicopinion. "Today, our society has literally awakened. Now our people are directly assessing the actions of individualsholding various positionsandlearning to freely express theiropinions."[1] Sh.M.Mirziyoyev The beginning of democratization in Uzbek society is undoubtedly linked to President Sh. Mirziyoyev's ascension to state leadership. One of his first landmark decisions was the removal of all border barriers, focusing on fostering good-neighborly relations with the outside world, including both theWest and Islamic belt countries. For thefirst timesince gaining independence, the head of state set a precedent by discussing with the public the accumulated pressing issues that had been hindering democratic development and impeding the country's reforms. The significance of these circumstances is comparable to the lifting of the "Iron Curtain" during the Soviet era. From this perspective, the importance of this event can hardly be overstated, as the Uzbek public, in harmony with the president's position, began to speak openly and without self- imposed restrictions about the urgent problems of state-building. Based on this, it can be unequivocally stated that the beginnings of democracy in Uzbekistan, in the form interpreted by theinternational community, manifested themselves precisely during that period ofreforming the state structure. For the first time in Uzbekistan's history, a precedent was set for direct dialogue between the government and society without any intermediaries, including those of a "forceful nature" with censorship, which instilled hope among broad segments of the population for the possibilityof reformingkey aspects ofthestatestructure. A retrospective examination of the progressive democratization of Uzbek society reveals three significant stages, beginning with its formation, followed by its further development, and https://ijmri.de/index.php/jmsi volume 4,issue4,2025 94 culminating in the prospects for its expansion through the introduction of public institutions designed to play both asupervisory and partnership rolein relation tothestate apparatus. Sociological surveys, along with international assessments and scientific research findings, indicate that the nascent strengthening of public oversight as an element of democratization and the involvement of broader segments of the population in socio-political life began to manifest during the late period of the First President I. Karimov's rule, and, as mentioned above, were put into practice under the current head of state, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The identified process continues to develop progressively, including through legislative means. A notable example is the draft Law "On Public Control," which was submitted for parliamentary consideration during I. Karimov's presidency and, after revision, was adopted under the current President through public discussion. The detailed examination in this article of these sequential factors in their historical dynamics allows for a comprehensive understanding of the approach and priorities of the "Uzbek Model" and the Action Strategy, while also demonstrating the consistent progression ofreforms withintheDevelopment Strategy. It is well known that the development of parliamentarism is an integral condition for democratic transformations and the development of self-awareness in society. In other words, an indispensable condition for the fundamental development of democratic institutions is the formation of parliament according to criteria that take into account the worthy representation of public ins