Referendum will back Uzbekistan’s new constitution

Significance

Uzbeks are being asked to approve amendments that change some 65% of the country’s constitution. A key change in the draft constitution would allow incumbent President Shavkat Mirzioyev to remain in power for an additional two terms. However, the amendments also address a range of other issues that segments of Uzbekistan’s society have been calling for.

Impacts

• Mirzioyev has been promising to create a ‘new’ Uzbekistan; the constitutional changes are a step towards fulfilling that promise.
• His additional years in office give him the luxury of making longer-term plans, setting targets that will take a decade or more to realise.
• The prospect of stability will reinforce renewed interest in doing business with Uzbekistan, particularly from Western companies.
• After two terms in office, Central Asian leaders tend to focus less on reform and more on self-enrichment and passing power to relatives.