The draft law “On the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan” includes a clause on increasing the term of office of the President of Uzbekistan from five to seven years. The draft document was published today, March 15, it leads “RIA Novosti”.
“The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan is elected by the citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot for a period of seven years,” the document says.
According to the country’s current constitution, the president’s term of office is five years. The relevant amendments were adopted in December 2011.
The new version of the constitution will also allow the country’s incumbent President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to be elected for a third consecutive time. Previously, the opportunity to be elected to the presidency was limited to two terms in a row.
Last week, deputies of the lower house of Uzbekistan scheduled a referendum on constitutional amendments for April 30. Yesterday, March 14, the Senate approved this decision. In the summer of 2022, protests began in the sovereign republic of Karakalpakstan over the draft amendments. The new draft constitution envisaged the elimination of the sovereign status of the region. More than 200 people were injured during the protests, and criminal cases were opened against 22 protesters. As a result of the rallies, the authorities decided to maintain the sovereign status of Karakalpakstan.