TASHKENT/OCT. 24/25 2021 (The Bulletin) — Shavkat Mirziyoyev won a presidential election in Uzbekistan with 80% of the vote in a process that Western observers said lacked genuine competition.
Speaking at a carefully stage-managed victory rally at the headquarters of his Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party, the usually somnolent Mr Mirziyoyev pushed a triumphant and upbeat message.
“I promise to make every effort and potential to justify the high trust of our people, to fulfil their dreams and aspirations, to ensure a prosperous life. We will all build a new Uzbekistan together,” he said.
In front of him dozens of teenagers wearing blue baseball caps and white t-shirts emblazoned with ‘Mirziyoyev’ waved and cheered.
This is Mr Mirziyoyev’s second term in office. He took over in 2016 from the reclusive and cankerous Islam Karimov. He has since opened up the economy, scrapped complicated dual currency rules and allowed foreign companies to invest and upgrade the country’s infrastructure.
Observers have generally applauded his efforts, although human rights and media activists have said that more needs to be done. Mr Mirziyoyev was PM under Karimov.
Under Uzbekistan’s constitution, the 64-year-old Mr Mirziyoyev is allowed to serve two consecutive terms as president, although this provision was ignored by Karimov.
After the vote on Oct. 24, Western election observers said that although democratic progress had been made, the election fell short of being genuinely competitive.
“The campaign was low-key in all regions as well as online. Although there were five candidates, the campaign was not truly competitive as there was no direct meaningful or genuine engagement between them, and with the citizens,” the OSCE’s vote monitoring unit ODHIR said.
It has never judged an election in Uzbekistan to be free or fair, unlike its CIS counterparts who approved the vote.
Mr Mirziyoyev’s 80% win was down from 2016 when he won with 90%.
–ENDS–
— This story was published in issue 505 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Oct. 28 2021
— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021
