Gauhar Zahid Malik in Tashkent
Uzbekistan’s incumbent president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has overwhelmingly won a new seven-year term in a snap election in which he faced three opponents, preliminary results showed Monday.
Mirziyoyev received more than 87% of the vote and each of the challengers about 4%, the country’s national elections commission said.
The provisional results were announced at a briefing in Tashkent by the chairman of the Central Election Commission, Zainiddin Nizamkhojaev.
He announced that Shavkat Mirziyoyev, for whom 13 million 625 thousand 55 people voted, was elected the president.
The elections were held In line with the international standards and national electoral legislation, in full compliance with such democratic principles as openness, transparency, freedom and fairness, he added.
In the elections on December 4, 2016, Shavkat Mirziyoyev won with 87.73% of the vote, on October 24, 2021 – 80.12%.
For comparison, at the Constitutional referendum on April 30, the voter turnout was 84.5%, in the presidential elections in 2021 – 80.4%, in the presidential elections in 2016 – 87.73%.
Robakhon Makhmudova, nominated by the Adolat Social Democratic Party, received 4.43% of the vote – 693 thousand 634 people voted for her.
The candidate from the People’s Democratic Party and its leader Ulugbek Inoyatov won 4.02% of the vote – 629 thousand 116 people.
The candidate from the Ecological Party Abdushukur Khamzaev won 3.74% of the votes – 585 thousand 711 people.
According to the new Constitution, the term of office of the president is now seven years (previously five years).
Meanwhile, President-elect Shavkat Mirziyoyev is now accepting congratulations on his win in the early presidential elections on Sunday, the presidential press service said.
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon congratulated Shavkat Mirziyoyev “on the convincing victory” over the phone. They also reportedly discussed the ways to expand Uzbek-Tajik ties and cooperation, primarily in trade, economic, investment, energy, agriculture and other areas.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev also received a call from the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Ilham Aliyev congratulated the president on his re-election, “wishing peace, well-being and prosperity to the friendly Uzbek people.” The parties also discussed preparations for the upcoming high-level meeting.
The press service of the President of Kazakhstan reported that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has also congratulated Shavkat Mirziyoyev “on the convincing victory.” He called the results of the vote “clear evidence of popular support for the police course of the Uzbek leader, aimed at ensuring sustainable growth, stability and prosperity of the state.”
During the conversation, the President of Kazakhstan confirmed his commitment to deepening Kazakh-Uzbek relations in the spirit of strategic partnership and alliance.
The president-elect of Uzbekistan also received congratulations from the chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who “wished well-being and prosperity to the fraternal Uzbek people.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a telephone conversation, “warmly congratulated the head of state on his convincing victory in the early presidential elections, pointing to the high turnout in the vote and the widespread public support for the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan.”
The congratulatory message addressed to Shavkat Mirziyoyev by Russian president Vladimir Putin says: “We highly appreciate your principled line on strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance between Russia and Uzbekistan. I am confident that joint efforts will ensure a consistent build-up of mutually beneficial cooperation across the entire range of bilateral ties, as well as coordination in regional and international affairs. This, of course, meets the aspirations of the Russian and Uzbek peoples.”
