Uzbekistan elects its president on Sunday, with the outgoing Shavkat Mirziyoyev como máximo favoritowho, in addition to consolidating his power, wants to lead the most populous country in Central Asia towards international opening and development.
Nearly 20 million Uzbeks are called to the polls in this former Soviet republic, rich in gas and with a highly strategic position.
The favorite
Mirziyoyev, comfortable winner in 2016 yrcomfortably elected in 2021 in a country without real opposition, he called these presidential elections after the constitutional referendum of April 30, adopted by more than 90% of the votes, which authorizes the passage of the presidential term from five to seven years and the possibility of running twice further.
These measures pave the way for the president, 65 yearsstay in power until 2037.
On the streets of Tashkent, the capital and the largest city in Central Asia, the programs and photos of the four candidates are proportionally present, but no one doubts the victory of Mirziyoyev.
No news on the electoral front
“There is nothing new to expect from those elections. Mirziyoyev is the only asset, and the other candidates do not dare to criticize him”, estimates Rustam Usmonov, a programmer.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) noted a «discreet campaignreflecting the absence of opposition to the outgoing president.
campaign promises
Mirziyoyev has set himself the target double GDP and has pledged to support the families of the hundreds of thousands of Uzbek migrant workers, most of them in Russia.
Since coming to power in 2016 after the death of the authoritarian Islam KarimovMirziyoyev undertook a series of economic and social reforms that, however, have not ended the abuses, activists say.
In July 2022, in the autonomous region of Karakalpakstansome demonstrations against a constitutional amendment ended with a violent repression that left 21 muertos.
