UZBEKISTAN: Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was re-elected with 87.1% of the vote following a referendum that reset his term count and increased the presidential term from five to seven years. Mirziyoyev, who has been in charge since 2016, announced a snap election.
Mirziyoyev, who has been in charge of the most populous country in Central Asia since 2016, demanded an early election after a referendum changed the constitution, reset his term count, and increased the presidential term from five to seven years. The change suggests that he might hold onto his position until 2037.
Prior to winning his first election in 2016 and being re-elected in 2021, Mirziyoyev served as prime minister under his predecessor Islam Karimov.
There are currently no significant opposition parties or politicians in Uzbekistan, despite the president relaxing limitations on religious and political freedoms and opening the 35 million-person nation to global trade and investment.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev faced three unknown candidates in the first elections, which included the Ecological Party, People’s Democratic Party, and Social-Democratic Party of Adolat (Justice).
NGOs claim that although human rights are currently better than they were under Karimov, there is still much opportunity for development. They claim that the current administration hasn’t offered any indication that it will permit a strong opposition to emerge.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reports that Uzbekistan’s election campaign has been low-key, reflecting a lack of opposition to the incumbent. Protests in July 2022 sparked the removal of the right to self-determination from Karakalpakstan territory, resulting in at least 21 deaths.
The education and economy have been the primary focus of Mirziyoyev’s re-election campaign, with the goal of increasing the country’s GDP to $160 billion. Uzbekistan is also working to reduce the negative effects of Western sanctions against Russia, a long-time trading partner, due to the conflict in Ukraine.
Tashkent may see a decline in foreign currency for Uzbeks working in Russia due to the weakening Russian rouble. Uzbekistan imports more gas and oil than exports, leading to increased Russian hydrocarbon purchases, benefiting from Moscow’s decision to divert exports away from the West.
Also Read: Putin Claims Sanctions Bolstering Russia’s Strength at SCO Summit
