President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev (file photo)
Voting for the parliamentary elections took place in Uzbekistan on Sunday. There is no opposition against the current President in this election. It is believed that the people of the country are preparing to once again side with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Mirziyoyev took over the leadership of Central Asia’s most populous country in 2016. During this period, he also gained a lot of popularity in the country.
There is no real opposition against President Mirziyoyev in these elections. While during his government there have been important changes in the electoral system recently. Along with this, it has also relaxed the previous government’s strict restrictions on economic reforms and political, religious and press freedom. Through all of these policies, Mirziyoyev once again maintains his strong grip on power.
Mirziyoyev’s presidential term will be extended
The current president of Uzbekistan, Mirziyoyev, has become very popular in the country with a population of 37 million. It has changed the harsh repressive policies of dictator Ismail Karimov. Mirziyoyev has freed some political prisoners. The media and bloggers have been liberated. At the same time, it has also reduced the strict control imposed on Islam by the previous government.
In April last year, it had made major changes to the electoral system. He also promoted the basis of clean voting by coordinating with the Electoral Commission of other countries. India is also included in this. Two days ago, India’s chief election commissioner also visited Tashkent. At the same time, because of all this, it seems certain that his presidential term will be extended. If this happens, Mirziyoyev will be able to remain in office until 2037.
Not even the opposition opposes Mirziyoyev
Parliament rarely opposes laws drafted by Mirziyoyev’s cabinet. While human rights groups say thousands of people in Uzbekistan are imprisoned on trumped-up charges. In 2022, Mirziyoyev’s government claimed to have abolished the system, which human rights groups said amounted to forced labor.
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Uzbekistan has adopted a mixed electoral process, under which half of its 150 parliamentarians will be elected along party lines, while the other half will be elected individually. However, all the candidates who participated in Sunday’s vote have been nominated by the country’s five parties. Despite the differences between the parties, no one seems to oppose Mirziyoyev. According to election officials, more than 47% of voters cast their votes by 1:00 p.m.
