This archive report was first published on 22 December 2019.
December 22, 2019
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took charge of Uzbekistan in 2016 after the death of hardline predecessor Islam Karimov, who ruled for nearly three decades.
Mirziyoyev has been praised for releasing political prisoners, battling forced labor, and opening up the country to tourism and foreign investment.
However, the election choices are limited, with all five parties competing represented in the outgoing parliament.
Uzbekistan, a Muslim-majority but staunchly secular country, has 33 million people, with over 20 million eligible to vote.
The polls opened at 8:00 am (0300 GMT) and closed 12 hours later.
Reform Drive ¶
Britain's The Economist magazine named Uzbekistan its country of the year in 2019, citing the country's significant reforms.
Yet, the reform drive has not allowed real competition to Mirziyoyev to develop, with the 150-member lower house having a reputation as a rubber stamp.
The Liberal Democratic Party is the largest in the legislature with 52 seats, followed by Milli Tiklanish with 36.
Residents of the capital Tashkent expressed concerns that they would not have dared express under Karimov.
Shahzod Alikulov, a builder, said the future parliament should ease the burden of the majority-rural population who feel the sharp end of energy shortages.
"For people to have gas, electricity, roads. That is what I will give my vote for," he told AFP.
'New Uzbekistan?' ¶
The elections are being held under the slogan "New Uzbekistan, new elections" as authorities seek to brand them as the latest example of a newfound openness.
However, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has said many features of past votes remain in place.
"Very few campaign posters are visible," the group's pre-election report said.
"So far, very little evidence of outdoor campaign activities has been observed."
