On Sunday July 9, early presidential elections are held in Uzbekistan. Four candidates are vying for the highest post, including the current head of state, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. According data The Central Election Commission (CEC), as of 11:00 local time, more than a third of voters (33.5%) took part in the ballot, the elections were recognized as valid.
Candidates
How reported in the CEC of Uzbekistan, the presidential candidates were:
Shavkat Mirziyoyev of the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan; Ulugbek Inoyatov of the People’s Democratic Party; Robakhon Makhmudova of the Social Democratic Party “Adolat” (“Justice”); Abdushukur Khamzaev from the Green Party.
The Democratic Party of Uzbekistan “Milliy Tiklanish” (“National Renaissance”) supported Mirziyoyev’s candidacy.
Voting in nearly 11,000 polling stations began at 8:00 a.m. local time (6:00 a.m. Moscow time). 56 polling stations, established under the representation of Uzbekistan in 39 foreign countries, also began to operate, the CEC noted.
According to the commission, 15 international organizations are observing the elections, in total about 800 international observers have arrived from 47 foreign countries.
A total of 1,400 local and foreign media representatives are covering the elections.
Vladimir Gerdo/TASS
Mirziyoyev until 2040
Snap elections are taking place after an April 30 referendum passed amendments to Uzbekistan’s constitution, one of which resets the terms of current President Mirziyoyev.
The amendments also provided for the extension of the presidential term to seven years (previously the presidential term was five years). The president cannot exercise more than two consecutive mandates.
Mirziyoyev has been head of state since 2016. After the adoption of amendments to the Constitution, he theoretically has the possibility of remaining in power until 2040 – when he will be 83 years old.
Experts believe that the current elections will strengthen the power of the incumbent president, writes Deutsche Welle (DW)*.
“This is the grayest election in history. People don’t even know the other presidential candidates apart from Mirziyoyev. Their names are unknown and will be immediately forgotten, so it makes no sense to talk of the opposition,” Rafael Sattarov, an independent political analyst, told DW*.
*included by the Ministry of Justice of Russia in the list of foreign media agents
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