Uzbekistan has long been a typical post-Soviet country. For 27 years it was ruled single-handedly by Islam Karimov, a conservative and almost dictator. But in 2016, he was forced to leave his position due to his own death, and a new president took over.
He became the son of the Mirziyoyev family (Mirziyoyev in English is a real nightmare for an English-speaking person), Shavkat Miromonovich.
A little about the president
Shavkat Mirziyoyev comes from the village of Yakhtan — his grandfather was born there. Mirziye Mirziyoyev left his father’s house with his brother in the 1930s and moved to the Zaamin district. However, his second brother remained in his homeland.
The president has a lot of relatives. This is not only the Yakhtan branch of the Mirziyoyevs: the surname itself originates in the ancient Mirtuppii family.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev became a politician quite early and made a brilliant career. By 2016 (the year of Islam Karimov’s death), Mirziyoyev was already prime minister. When Nigmatilla Yuldoshev, who became acting president, resigned from his post, Shavkat Miromonovich turned out to be the only worthy candidate.
Constitution and terms
And now, after many reforms, Shavkat Mirziyoyev got his hands on the constitution. In 2023, many amendments were adopted to it, mainly expanding civil rights and freedoms. There was one small detail: an increase in the presidential term from five to seven years. You can serve a maximum of two terms as president in Uzbekistan. Since changes to the constitution reset these deadlines, Mirziyoyev’s rule automatically increased.
To confirm this, the president called early re-elections that same year. Of course, he won by a huge margin. Now he will be the leader of Uzbekistan until 2030, and there he will be able to take a second term.
Brief overview of reforms
So far, Shavkat Miromonovich’s intentions look good. The president began by releasing political prisoners — an act unprecedented for a post-Soviet country. It wasn’t over for them. The new leader banned child labor and severely limited forced labor. He spoke out against religious persecution. Really reduced corruption and bureaucracy, greatly thinning out and reducing the bureaucracy.
Mirziyoyev is known for his economic reforms. Stimulating the private sector, eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy, the official opportunity to exchange national currency for foreign ones, establishing relations with foreign partners and the influx of foreign investment led to a natural result. The country’s GDP is growing steadily at least 5% annually. It is expected that in 2030 Uzbekistan will be more like Europe in terms of living standards.
In foreign policy, Shavkat Miromonovich behaves moderately. It cooperates especially actively with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is heading towards rapprochement with the USA and Europe, but does not forget about Russia, China, and Korea.
