Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev won Overwhelming voter approval (90%) of Sunday’s referendum to rewrite the constitution, which the 65-year-old leader claims will not only improve governance and quality of life in the former Soviet republic but could also allow him to extend his rule beyond his current term. Mr. Mirziyoyev, former prime minister loyal to the dictator Islam Karimov, has gradually opened the country to social and economic reforms since becoming president in 2016 following the death of his boss. He cracked down on forced labor in the cotton fields, released political prisoners, relaxed media censorship and promoted women’s rights, while his policies aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship and attracting foreign investment at a time Transforming a closed economy into the fastest growing economy in Central Asia. The new charter, which describes Uzbekistan as “sovereign, democratic, legal, social and secular”, promises a new media code and criminalises domestic abuse. It promises to ban the death penalty, guarantee prisoner rights and provide better social protection, including housing, to low-income people.
But it would also reset the president’s terms to zero, allowing him to contest two more elections under the new constitution, which increased the presidential term from five years to seven. Mr. Mirziyoyev is currently serving his second five-year term, which will end in 2026. Another seven-year term would mean he could remain in power until 2040, when he would be 82. The Election Commission had made elaborate arrangements to make the voting process appear free and fair. International journalists and monitors were invited, allowed to visit polling stations and talk to voters and officials on polling day. But still, everyone knew what the consequences would be as there was no campaign going on against the President’s proposals. While major media houses were largely aligned with the government, social media activists and press freedom advocates were under pressure not to campaign against the reforms. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which sent election observers, said the vote was not truly representative. Still, Mr. Mirziyoyev’s rule is markedly different from the authoritarian rule of his predecessor. Mr. Mirziyoyev’s social and economic reforms, while ensuring that his political power is not threatened, have not been enough. If he is serious about his promise to build a new Uzbekistan, he should also initiate political reform, while respecting the right to dissent and allowing the opposition to act without fear of government pressure and intimidation. Needed