How has Uzbekistan changed during the reign of Shavkat Mirziyoyev?
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev predictably successfully won re-election for a third term, having amended the constitution in advance to nullify the previous two. Seven years ago, great hopes were placed on Mirziyoyev - to transform a repressive autocracy into a more open, modern state. The economic condition of Uzbekistan has indeed improved somewhat, but the expected democratic changes have not occurred.
According to preliminary data, Shavkat Mirziyoyev received 87.05% of the votes and won the early presidential elections, said the head of the Central Election Commission Zainiddin Nizamkhodjaev.
In second place with 4.43% of the votes is Senator Robakhon Makhmudova, in third place is Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament Ulugbek Inoyatov with 4.02%. The fourth was Abdushukur Khamzaev (3.74%), who has headed the State Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection for the last two years.
According to the CEC, the final turnout was 79.8 percent, or 15.6 million voters.
In April 2023, Uzbeks voted for amendments to the constitution, which, among other things, nullified Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s two terms. After this, he received the legal opportunity to be elected for two more seven-year terms - that is, to remain in power until 2040.
Political scientist Rafael Sattarov calls the past presidential elections “a big political manipulation and formalization of Mirziyoyev’s family rule,” noting that the competition for the current president was from politicians unfamiliar to society: “These are the most empty elections. They take place during the hottest season, when Uzbeks are busy with wedding preparations and have no time for elections.”
“New Uzbekistan” by Mirziyoyev
Many observers called the beginning of Mirziyoyev’s presidency a “thaw,” counting on a transition from the authoritarian regime of the late President Islam Karimov to a more democratic system.
The second president of Uzbekistan did loosen controls over the media, introduced market reforms, and introduced a ban on forced labor.
In addition, under Mirziyoyev’s presidency, negotiations on border demarcation with Kazakhstan and delimitation with Kyrgyzstan were successfully completed - they began under Karimov and lasted for decades.
Uzbekistan's economy is growing steadily (5.7% in 2022, according to the World Bank), and economists expect a continued influx of private investment. In 2019, an IT park was opened in Tashkent, and in April 2022, against the backdrop of mass emigration of Russians, Uzbekistan began issuing special IT visas for investors, company founders and specialists in the field of information technology.
The president plans to build on the successes achieved; the motto of his election campaign is “We will build a New Uzbekistan together with our people.” Among other things, Mirziyoyev promised voters to double Uzbekistan's GDP and reduce the poverty level by almost half.
However, as the British analytical company Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) notes, Uzbekistan's problems remain structural weaknesses in the economy, corruption and excessive government intervention in the economy. Inflation spurred by the war in Ukraine is also reflected in the standard of living - in 2022 it amounted to 12.25%, this is the highest figure in three years.
