Uzbekistan President wins referendum to amend Constitution to expand his powers

The Uzbek people have approved constitutional amendments that will allow President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to continue in power until 2040. Mirziyoyev, 65, took over as president after autocrat Islam Karimov died in 2016. 

Uzbeks were given the opportunity to vote on changes that would extend the duration of presidential terms from five to seven years, allowing Mirziyoyev to serve two extra terms, in a strictly regulated referendum held on Sunday. According to preliminary results released on Monday, 90.21% of voters agreed with the reforms, with an 84.54% turnout.

Uzbekistan’s journey from an active dictatorial state to a passive one

Despite recent changes, critics of the government and human rights organisations assert that Uzbekistan continues to be dictatorial. Mirziyoyev has stated that the constitutional revisions will improve Uzbekistan’s government and quality of life. However, he is expected to benefit the greatest from the modifications. 

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan’s neighbour, was the first nation to welcome the Uzbek leader’s success in extending the term. The country’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, remarked that the outcome demonstrated faith in Mirziyoyev’s administration and “unwavering solidarity from the Uzbek people.”

A dictator with a modern political strategy?

Mirziyoyev has positioned himself as Karimov’s modern heir. He was a devoted Prime Minister under Karimov’s ruthless regime for thirteen years. He then won two elections in which, according to international observers, the election process was still suspicious.

Mirziyoyev led a series of improvements in Uzbekistan after Karimov’s death, notably a ban on forced labour in cotton fields. Uzbekistan, which was cut off from the rest of the world during Karimov’s reign, is now striving to become part of the World Trade Organisation. Activists, however, say that human rights violations stay the same and that government officials have shown no willingness to enable a political alternative to grow.

The constitutional amendments also ban the death sentence and protect human rights for what Mirziyoyev refers to as “a new Uzbekistan.” Nonetheless, despite economic and social progress, such as the criminalising of domestic violence, the government does not tolerate any dissent.

The modification to the Constitution was never a surprise after a one-sided campaign in a nation where the media is still mostly state-managed. According to two state media journalists who spoke anonymously, they had “received orders to cover Uzbekistan, the referendum, and the president in a positive light.” They also said that as the election was nearer, surveillance intensified to a greater degree. The government took considerable measures to make the referendum appear legitimate, engaging local celebrities to speak at huge demonstrations and concerts to support the proposals and the president.