Uzbekistan Approves Constitutional Reforms Extending President's Rule

Facts

• The Uzbek Election Commission on Monday announced that voters approved constitutional amendments that will extend presidential terms from five to seven years and allow Pres. Shavkat Mirziyoyev — who has been in office since 2016 — to remain in power until 2040.¹
• The proposed reform also includes a ban on the death penalty and the protection of human rights, including the criminalization of domestic violence, but it doesn't allow for the emergence of political opposition in the country.²
• Preliminary results show that over 16.6M ballots were cast, amounting to a voter turnout of 84.5%, with 90.2% of them backing the changes. The final results must be published no later than ten days after the referendum.³
• This outcome was widely expected following a one-sided campaign that included local celebrities taking part in large rallies and concerts to praise the overhaul, in a country where the press remains largely controlled by the government.⁴
• International observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights noted on Monday that while the referendum was technically well prepared and tabled as a continuation of broader reforms, the process was marred by the lack of pluralism and open debate.⁵
• Originally planned for last year, the referendum was postponed due to deadly unrest in the sparsely populated Karakalpakstan region as the constitutional draft would seek to rescind its secession right.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²France 24, ³TASS, ⁴Guardian, ⁵OSCE, and ⁶ABC News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by News Central Asia. The constitutional amendments are essential for creating a solid legal foundation for the government's efforts to build a "New Uzbekistan," which has been gradually established over the past years. Under the leadership of Mirziyoyev, the country is following an irreversible path of liberalization that has promoted freedom of speech, religion, movement, and prosperity.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Moscow Times. Emboldened by Russia's isolation on the global stage, Central Asia's leaders are consolidating their power as the Kremlin has expressed its commitment to preventing the so-called "color revolutions" in the region — and Uzbekistan is no exception. The constitutional overhaul has extended Mirziyoyev's political power by allowing his rule to continue well beyond his original term limit.