Largest Central Asian Nation Goes to Polls in Test of New Leader
- Uzbekistan to elect first new parliament under Mirziyoyev
- President moved to open up country after death of Karimov
This article is for subscribers only.
Uzbekistan holds parliamentary elections on Sunday that are a test of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s commitment to opening up central Asia’s most populous country and making it more attractive to foreign investors.
Five parties will compete for the 150 seats in the Oliy Majlis after a three-month campaign that has included the first televised debates and a barrage of TV advertising encouraging people to vote. Still, critics say voters lack an opportunity to support genuine opposition parties in the first parliamentary elections since Mirziyoyev became president in 2016.