MOSCOW (AP) — Polls have opened in Uzbekistan’s first presidential election since the death of authoritarian leader Islam Karimov who ruled the country for 27 years.

Acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who spent 13 years as Karimov’s prime minister, is expected to easily win a five-year term. Karimov led Uzbekistan since before the Soviet collapse, first as its communist boss and then as president.

Following Karimov’s sudden death in September, Mirziyoyev shifted into the acting president’s job quickly and without any visible tensions, highlighting apparent consensus between regional clans. Mirziyoyev faces three nominal rivals. Two of them challenged Karimov in past elections, each receiving about 3 percent of the vote. </s> TASHKENT (TCA) — Acting President Shavkat Mirziyaev has won the December 4 presidential election in Uzbekistan with 88.6 percent of the vote, Uzbekistan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) said today, announcing preliminary results of the presidential election.

CEC Chairman Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov said late on December 4 that the official turnout was 87.83 percent, with more than 17.9 million out of 20 million eligible voters taking part in the election.



The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement on December 5 that the presidential election underscored "the need for comprehensive reforms" in the country. 



None of the six previous post-Soviet elections observed in Uzbekistan by ODHIR monitors has been deemed democratic and fair.



The 59-year-old Mirziyaev, who had been the country’s prime minister since 2003, was made acting president six days after longtime President Islam Karimov’s death was announced in early September.



Mirziyaev earlier said he would continue the political course of Karimov.



There were three other candidates on the ballot, all of which support the government: Khatamjon Ketmanov of the People’s Democratic Party, Sarvar Otamuratov of the Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival) Democratic Party, and Nariman Umarov of the Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party.



Ketmanov and Umarov both ran in a 2015 presidential election that critics described as a sham organized to secure a fourth term for Karimov, who had prolonged his power through a series of votes that were condemned as undemocratic by Western states and observers, RFE/RL reported. </s> Uzbekistan held a tightly controlled presidential election Sunday, the first vote since the death of authoritarian leader Islam Karimov who ruled the country for 27 years.

Karimov led Uzbekistan since before the 1991 Soviet collapse, first as its communist boss and then as its president. During his long tenure, he ruthlessly crushed all opposition and was denounced by international rights groups for abuses that included killings and torture.

The odds-on favorite in Sunday's election is acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who spent 13 years as Karimov's prime minister.

Uzbekistan's Election Commission said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the turnout in the presidential vote was nearly 70 percent by 3 p.m. (1000 GMT, 5 a.m. EST). The voting wrapped up five hours later but results are not expected until early Monday.

Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous nation, is rich in natural resources and borders Afghanistan, making it of strategic interest to Russia, the U.S. and China.

Karimov never cultivated a successor and his death in September raised concerns that the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 32 million might see fierce infighting over its leadership. Mirziyoyev, however, shifted into the acting president's job quickly and without any visible tensions, highlighting an apparent consensus between regional clans.

The 59-year old Mirziyoyev faced three nominal rivals Sunday. Two of them challenged Karimov in past elections, each receiving about 3 percent of the vote. But neither candidate campaigned as a vocal critic of Mirziyoyev, and the fourth contender has been just as pliant.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitored the election, has described the campaign as "strictly regulated."

"There is no perceptible exchange of views among the candidates with regard to their programs," the OSCE said. "All candidates refrain from criticizing the government or each other, and claim to target distinct segments of the electorate."

Sunday's election is a mere formality to make Mirziyoyev legitimate, Sanjar Umarov, the leader of an Uzbek reform movement in exile, told The Associated Press.

"The actual choice was made on Sept. 8, when Mirziyoyev was appointed acting president," Umarov said in a phone interview from Memphis, Tennessee.

Umarov spent four years in prison for embezzlement, a charge his supporters say was politically motivated, before being released in 2009.

Umarov says he is cautiously optimistic about Mirziyoyev because the former prime minister is intimately familiar with the weaknesses of Karimov's system of power.

"I think he understands that he needs to foster a civil society. I think he understands that he needs to restore democratic institutes," he said. "He knows the system of Karimov's regime well. I doubt he will want to replicate it."

Shortly after Karimov died, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Uzbekistan and met with Mirziyoyev, a trip that reflected Moscow's desire to strengthen its influence in the country.

The U.S. installed a base in Uzbekistan to support military action in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Washington was forced to abandon the facility in 2005 as relations between Uzbekistan and the U.S. soured following a government crackdown on rioters in the Ferghana Valley city of Andijan that is believed to have left hundreds dead.

Almost all Western media long have been barred from reporting inside Uzbekistan, and the country's independent journalists and activists have faced sustained harassment.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> MOSCOW (AP) — Voters in Uzbekistan are casting ballots Sunday in the tightly controlled, ex-Soviet nation’s first presidential election since the death of Islam Karimov, the authoritarian leader who ruled for 27 years.

Acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who spent 13 years as Karimov’s prime minister, is expected to easily win a five-year term in the Central Asia country.

Karimov led Uzbekistan since before the Soviet collapse, first as its communist boss and then as president. During his long tenure, he ruthlessly crushed all opposition, silenced the media and was repeatedly denounced by international human rights groups for abuses that included killings and torture.

Karimov also never cultivated a successor. His September death raised concerns that the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 32 million might see fierce infighting over its leadership that could allow radical Islamists to rise to power or exploit the situation.

But the 59-year old Mirziyoyev shifted into the acting president’s job quickly and without any visible tensions, highlighting apparent consensus between regional clans.

In Sunday’s election, Mirziyoyev faces three nominal rivals. Two of them, Hotamjon Ketmonov and Narimon Umarov challenged Karimov in past elections, each receiving about 3 percent of the vote.

However, neither candidate has campaigned as a vocal critic of Mirziyoyev, while the fourth contender, Sarvar Otamuratov, has been just as pliant.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the main trans-Atlantic security and rights group, deployed an observer team to monitor the election. It has described the campaign as “strictly regulated” and “moderately visible.”

“There is no perceptible exchange of views among the candidates with regard to their programs,” the OSCE said in an interim report. “All candidates refrain from criticizing the government or each other, and claim to target distinct segments of the electorate.”

Under Karimov, Uzbekistan’s relations with its ex-Soviet neighbors were strained by disputes over water, energy and other issues. Analyst Arkady Dubnov noted in a commentary for the Carnegie Moscow Center that Mirziyoyev has worked quickly to ease tensions.

Dubnov also pointed to Mirziyoyev’s pledge to liberalize foreign currency trading as a sign that he was planning to ease some of the rigid rules established under Karimov.

Since gaining independence in 1991, Uzbekistan has pursued a policy of economic self-reliance and sought to balance its diplomatic ties with the West and Russia, playing them against each other.

Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s most populous nation, is rich in natural resources and borders Afghanistan, making it of strategic interest to Russia, the United States and China.

Shortly after Karimov died, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Uzbekistan and met with Mirziyoyev, a trip that reflected Moscow’s desire to strengthen its influence in the country.

The United States installed a military base in the country for action in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Washington was forced to abandon the facility in 2005 as relations between the Uzbekistan and the U.S. soured following a government crackdown on rioters in the Ferghana Valley city of Andijan that is believed to have left hundreds dead.

Almost all Western media long were barred from reporting inside Uzbekistan, and the country’s independent journalists and activists have faced sustained harassment. </s> MOSCOW — Voters are casting ballots on Sunday in Uzbekistan's tightly controlled presidential election, the first vote since the death of authoritarian leader Islam Karimov who ruled the country for 27 years.

Karimov led Uzbekistan since before the Soviet collapse, first as its communist boss and then as president. During his long tenure, he ruthlessly crushed all opposition and was denounced by international human rights groups for abuses that included killings and torture.

Uzbekistan's Election Commission said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the turnout in the presidential vote was nearly 70 by 3 p.m. (1000 GMT, 5 a.m. EST), five hours before the polls were to close.

Karimov never cultivated a succession and his death in September death raised concerns that the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 32 million might see fierce infighting over its leadership. Mirziyoyev, however, shifted into the acting president's job quickly and without any visible tensions, highlighting apparent consensus between regional clans.

The 59-year old Mirziyoyev faces three nominal rivals. Two of them challenged Karimov in past elections, each receiving about 3 of the vote. However, neither candidate has campaigned as a vocal critic of Mirziyoyev, while the fourth contender has been just as pliant.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which deployed an observer team to monitor the election, has described the campaign as "strictly regulated" and "moderately visible."

"There is no perceptible exchange of views among the candidates with regard to their programs," the OSCE said in an interim report. "All candidates refrain from criticizing the government or each other, and claim to target distinct segments of the electorate."

Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous nation, is rich in natural resources and borders Afghanistan, making it of strategic interest to Russia, the U.S. and China.

Shortly after Karimov died, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Uzbekistan and met with Mirziyoyev, a trip that reflected Moscow's desire to strengthen its influence in the country.

The U.S. installed a military base in the country for action in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks. Washington was forced to abandon the facility in 2005 as relations between the Uzbekistan and the U.S. soured following a government crackdown on rioters in the Ferghana Valley city of Andijan that is believed to have left hundreds dead.

Almost all Western media long have been barred from reporting inside Uzbekistan, and the country's independent journalists and activists have faced sustained harassment. </s> MOSCOW (AP) — Uzbek election officials say that acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has overwhelmingly won a tightly controlled presidential election.

Mirziyoyev garnered 88.61 percent of the vote, according to the head of the Central Election Commission.

Murza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov said during a briefing in Tashkent on Monday that Mirziyoyev got 15.9 million votes.

Sunday’s poll was the first election in the Central Asian country since the August death of authoritarian leader Islam Karimov, who ruled for 27 years. Karimov’s demise sparked fears of a power battle but the country’s regional clans quickly grouped around Mirziyoyev.

Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s most populous nation, is rich in natural resources and borders Afghanistan, making it of strategic interest to Russia, the U.S. and China. </s> Presidential elections in Uzbekistan will take place on Dec. 4, the country's government has confirmed.

Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev was named as acting president on Thursday, following the death of the country's long-serving leader Islam Karimov.

Uzbekistan last held presidential elections in March 2015. Karimov faced three other candidates, all of whom were from pro-government parties.

Election monitors for the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) reported that the elections did not show “genuine competition” and that the “rigidly constrained media did not provide political debate.”

Karimov, the country’s authoritarian ruler of 27 years, died of a brain hemorrhage last week at the age of 78. He was buried in his home town of Samarkand on Saturday, but left no obvious successor.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Samarkand Monday, laying flowers at Karimov’s grave and personally giving his condolences to the former president’s widow and daughter.

Mirziyoyev accompanied Putin during his visit, suggesting to many that he was likely to succeed Karimov. </s> ALMATY, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan will elect a new president on Dec. 4 following the death of veteran leader Islam Karimov last week, the elections authority said on Friday, as Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev looked set to take over.

Karimov died of a stroke on Sept.2 aged 78 after ruling the resource-rich Central Asian country of 32 million people for 27 years in an authoritarian manner, brooking no dissent.

Political parties will be able to nominate candidates between Sept. 30 and Oct. 20, Central Election Commission Chairman Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov told reporters.

On Thursday, Uzbekistan's parliament named Mirziyoyev, 59, as interim president when the man who should have become transitional leader under the constitution bowed out in his favour, saying he had long experience in office and enjoyed the respect of people.

Mirziyoyev was also the official mourner-in-chief at Karimov's funeral and met Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, strong signs that he is likely to succeed Karimov.

Uzbekistan has never held a vote judged free and fair by Western observers. Karimov was routinely reelected with more than 90 percent of the vote.

In a speech delivered in parliament on Thursday and published on Friday, Mirziyoyev pledged to continue Karimov's policies, focusing on stability and security and sticking to the "Uzbek model" in economic matters.

Uzbekistan has been deliberately slow to introduce market reforms under Karimov and the economy remains dominated by the state.

Mirziyoyev also said Tashkent would continue the policy of avoiding military blocs and refusing to host military bases of foreign nations. (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Additional reporting by Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov; Editing by Dominic Evans) </s> ALMATY, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan's parliament appointed Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev as interim president on Thursday, a source who saw the written decision of the legislature told Reuters.

President Islam Karimov, who had ruled Central Asia's most populous nation for 27 years, died of a stroke last week aged 78.

Mirziyoyev, who was the official mourner-in-chief at Karimov's funeral and met Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, is widely expected to become the president of Uzbekistan, an energy-rich country where Russia, the United States and China are vying for influence.

Under the Uzbek constitution, a presidential election must now be held within three months.

Central Asia pundits say they do not expect any drastic policy changes if Mirziyoyev, a former regional governor, is duly elected president of the mainly Muslim nation of 32 million people that borders Afghanistan.

By appointing Mirziyoyev, 59, as acting head of state, the legislature leapfrogged Senate Chairman Nigmatilla Yuldashev, who under the constitution should have led the country during the transition period as acting president after Karimov's death.

But Yuldashev, a little-known figure, had declined the role saying he lacked experience, the same source said. The appointment of Mirziyoyev, valued by Karimov as a competent manager, is expected to be officially announced in an evening TV news programme - a usual practice in the secretive nation.

Karimov cast his country as a bulwark against militant Islam but drew Western criticism for suppressing political dissent. Human rights groups say there are hundreds of political and religious prisoners in local jails and say torture is practised.

In contrast to the West, Putin said during his visit to Tashkent this week he hoped the new Uzbek leader would continue Karimov's work, putting a stamp on Moscow's claim to be the former Soviet republic's closest ally. (Reporting by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Voters in Uzbekistan go to the polls for a presidential election, the first since the death of Islam Karimov who governed the country for 25 years.