Parties loyal to Uzbekistan’s president win parliament seats in election devoid of real opposition

Parties loyal to Uzbekistan’s president have swept parliament seats in an election devoid of any real opposition in the tightly-controlled Central Asian country. All candidates running in Sunday’s vote have been nominated by the country’s five registered parties. There are some differences in focus among the parties, some of which stress issues such as the business climate or environmental protection, but all support President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Nearly 75% of voters had cast their ballots in Sunday’s vote, well above the 33% needed for the vote to be valid. In 2023, Mirziyoyev called a constitutional referendum that reset presidential term limits and would allow him to stay in office until 2040.