VZCZCXRO4559
PP RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHPOD RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHNT #1284 3111103
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061103Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0558
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1647
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 4701
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 2988

UNCLAS TASHKENT 001284 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UZ
SUBJECT: U.S. ELECTIONS ENTHRALL YOUNG UZBEK AUDIENCE 
 
¶1. (SBU) An embassy-hosted event to watch the election 
returns the early morning of November 5 was exceptionally 
well-attended by an enthusiastic and predominantly young 
Uzbek crowd of approximately 350.  Participants were able to 
cast mock ballots, get brochures and information about the 
electoral process in the U.S., and watch live coverage on 
projection screens.  An already excited audience broke into 
applause as the networks called the election of America's 
44th President. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The lone Government of Uzbekistan Ministry official 
present at the event (despite many having been invited) was 
the head of the Americas Office of the MFA, Takhir 
Mamadjanov, who appeared interested and surprised by the 
enthusiasm among the young people in the room.  Celebrating 
genuine democracy, of course, is not among the GOU's 
priorities, so the absence of Tashkent's officialdom was 
hardly surprising.  However, the significance of the event 
was not lost on the young Uzbeks in the room.  Watching 
history in the making, they were able to witness an election 
unfold whose outcome was determined by a people, not by a 
government. 
 
3 (SBU) This message is not lost on the GOU either, which has 
not yet been able to figure out how it wishes to report on 
the U.S. elections (despite the fact that the entire 
population already knows about it and likely watched reports 
on Russian television).  Several Embassy press contacts said 
that, although present at our event, they would not be able 
to run their stories.  Following reports on reforms in the 
state railways, the visit of the mayor of Rio de Janeiro and 
the President of Bulgaria, and flooding in China, Uzbek state 
television had a 15 second piece announcing that Barack Obama 
won the U.S. election.  Major government-owned dailies made 
no mention of the election in their November 6 editions. 
Several weeklies did run short, matter of fact reports, as 
well as a couple of internet publications, but considering 
the importance of the event, very little has thus far been 
written or said in Uzbekistan. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Likewise, there has been no formal official word 
from the GOU.  President Karimov offered a quiet 
"congratulations" to the Ambassador today in a receiving line 
for visiting Bulgarian President Parvanov.  Foreign Minister 
Norov, present at the same event, was silent. 
 
¶5. (SBU) It is difficult to divine what the Uzbek government 
thinks about our election.  As a demonstration of the 
vibrancy and vitality of democracy that has generated 
excitement around the world, including in Uzbekistan, they 
could find it threatening, fearful that their own citizens 
will become emboldened and impatient with the glacial pace of 
change in this country.  At the same time, they are very 
likely beginning to ponder what this election will mean for 
their relationship with us.  Our election was an example of 
the strength of our democratic traditions, giving our lone 
GOU guest every reason to report back to his superiors that 
U.S. policies promoting freedom in Uzbekistan are not going 
away any time soon. 
NORLAND