LEGAL MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING THE INDEPENDENCE OF LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE BODIES OF STATE POWER IN UZBEKISTAN

This article examines the legal mechanisms securing the independence of local representative bodies (Kengashes of People's Deputies) in Uzbekistan. Historically, local executive governors (hokims) concurrently chaired local representative councils, undermining institutional checks and balances. Analyzing the revised 2023 Constitution and the amended Law "On Local State Power", this study highlights key structural reforms: the strict separation of the offices of hokim and Kengash Chairperson, the establishment of autonomous Kengash Secretariats, and the expansion of standing commission oversight. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates how these reforms institutionalize the local separation of powers while emphasizing fiscal decentralization and professional capacity building as critical prerequisites for effective municipal governance.