In August 1991, local Communist Party leaders, led by Islam Karimov, supported the Russian coup attempt against the reforming leader, Michael Gorbachev. When the coup failed, Karimov declared independence from the USSR. The new country of Uzbekistan would remain authoritarian. Former leaders of the Communist Party were the only experienced politicians in the republic, and easily maintained power through fraudulent ballots. Opposition parties were prohibited from participating in elections and democratic activists were kidnapped and attacked. In September 2016, Karimov died, leaving the long-serving prime minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev as interim president. Mirziyoyev has made some efforts to open the economy, lifting barriers to trade, but observers have continued to note authoritarian behaviours.