header banner
WORLD

Uzbekistan holds parliamentary vote without real opposition

MOSCOW, Dec 22: Voters in the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan are choosing a new parliament in an election that presents no genuine opposition.
By Associated Press

MOSCOW, Dec 22: Voters in the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan are choosing a new parliament in an election that presents no genuine opposition.


The vote is the first parliamentary election since the death of longtime strongman leader Ismail Karimov three years ago. But the five parties in Sunday’s election all were Karimov loyalists and they also support the agenda of his successor.


Since becoming president in 2016, Shavkat Mirziyoyev has implemented reforms including relaxing the censorship of critical news websites and releasing some political prisoners. But human rights groups say thousands of people in Uzbekistan remain imprisoned on false charges and cite problems with forced labor.


Related story

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds talks with Chinese...


At an election-day news conference, the head of the country’s elections commission Mirzo-Ulugbek Abdusalomov said new political forces should form and register political parties.


“We believe that opposition parties should be created in our country, because it’s hard to encourage pluralism in society without opposition,” he said.


According to Temur Umarov, a Central Asia analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center, “there should not be any illusions about this parliamentary election.”


“These are not unprecedented free and fair elections. They (the government) put it this way: It is just the first time for us, give us please some time to learn,” Umarov said.


 


 


 

Related Stories
WORLD

President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan dies at age...

SPORTS

CAVA U-20 Volleyball: Nepal defeated, Uzbekistan w...

SPORTS

Nepal to play against Uzbekistan today for CAVA Me...

SPORTS

Boxing team leaving for Uzbekistan today

ECONOMY

AIIB approves $100 million loan to Uzbekistan to f...