TASHKENT: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan has announced a snap presidential election to be held on July 9, seeking a new mandate to address the “sharp and complex processes” occurring in the world.
Despite serving less than two years of his second term, Mirziyoyev, 65, stated on Monday that he believed a fresh mandate was necessary to continue implementing reforms in the country.
Citing the prevailing challenges in the global and regional context, President Mirziyoyev emphasized the urgency of finding the right and effective path for Uzbekistan’s development.
To this end, Uzbek voters approved a set of constitutional amendments in a referendum on April 30, enabling Mirziyoyev to run for two additional terms and extending each term from five to seven years.
In a move to implement the constitutional amendments, Mirziyoyev signed a law on Monday granting the head of state the authority to call for an early election, thus paving the way for a potential extension of his term.
Taking to Telegram, the president announced, “Using the powers granted to the president by Article 128 of the constitution, I signed a second crucial decree. According to the decree, the presidential elections in our country will be held ahead of schedule.”
Uzbekistan constitutional referendum
The president has garnered praise both domestically and internationally for his efforts in liberalizing the former Soviet republic, as well as for opening up its economy to foreign trade and investment.
Since assuming power in 2016 following the death of his predecessor, Islam Karimov, Mirziyoyev has expressed commitments to further social and legal protections.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) acknowledged the technical preparations and promotion of the constitutional referendum as an enhancement of various rights and freedoms.
The upcoming early presidential election in Uzbekistan will provide an opportunity for the country to determine its leadership for the next term as President Mirziyoyev seeks public support to address the prevailing global challenges and drive forward with his reform agenda.
