“The law is sacred, a just decision must always be made — this idea must become the rule of life for every member of society, especially public officials,” said the president of Uzbekistan. He acknowledged that implementing the principle of the rule of law will not be easy.
The President of Uzbekistan called the referendum on the new constitution a historic event. He stressed that the people “once again demonstrated in practice their commitment to the ideas of democracy, freedom and equality, social justice and unity”.
Uzbekistan enacted a constitutional law that allows the President and Parliament to call early elections for the head of state and the legislative bodies. The law stipulates that when the President appoints early presidential elections, they must be held within two months.
The Presidents of Uzbekistan and Germany held talks in Berlin, discussing priority areas of cooperation. Germany expressed readiness to support regional connectivity projects, including the EU’s Global Gateway initiative. The Goethe Institute is expected to expand activities to Uzbekistan’s regions.
The President of Uzbekistan held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. During the visit 16 intergovernmental and interdepartmental documents in various spheres, including economics, trade, finance, education, science, and innovation, were signed.
The new Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the United States, Furkat Sidikov, presented his credentials to President Joe Biden.
Uzbekistan’s new constitution officially came into effect as of May 1, according to the Central Election Commission. The new constitution is composed of six parts, 27 chapters, and 155 articles. The changes were approved by an overwhelming majority of voters (90.2%) in a referendum held on April 30.
The Central Election Commission announced the final results of Uzbekistan’s constitutional referendum held on May 1. Turnout was 84.5% (16,667,097 voters), with 90.2% of votes in favour and 9.35% against. Results in three polling stations were cancelled due to irregularities.
The CEC invalidated 3 polling stations' results for Uzbekistan’s constitutional referendum due to serious violations. However, the CEC stated that these irregularities do not affect the referendum’s validity, with a 84.54% turnout and 90.21% in favour of the amendment.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on April 26 recognizing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 122 to 5, with 18 abstentions. Uzbekistan, along with 17 other countries, abstained from the vote.
Uzbekistan and Sierra Leone signed a joint communiqué establishing diplomatic relations in New York. The move makes Sierra Leone the 143rd country with which Uzbekistan has established diplomatic ties.
President Mirziyoyev plans to visit Italy in the summer and hold talks with top Italian officials, including President Sergio Mattarella, PM Giorgia Meloni, and FM Antonio Tajani, Guido Crosetto, Italian Defense Minister, announced during his visit to Tashkent.
President Mirziyoyev is set to visit Germany on May 2−3. During his visit, the Uzbek President will meet with German President Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss deepening bilateral relations. The President will also hold a separate meeting with German business leaders.
According to the preliminary results shared by Zayniddin Nizamkhojaev, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission, the voter turnout for the referendum on Uzbekistan’s new Constitution held on April 30 was 84.54%. 90.21% of voters voted to change the constitution, while 9.35% voted against it.
The CEC has launched an investigation into a video showing a polling station member ticking “Yes” on several ballot papers in a row. The CEC has accused her of filling in 16 ballots illegally on behalf of family members. The Prosecutor’s Office is involved in the investigation.
As of 17:00, over 81.39% of registered voters participated in Uzbekistan’s constitutional referendum. The Deputy Chairman of the CEC confirmed that some irregularities occurred at some polling stations. The CEC also found inaccurate information among the reported irregularities.
As of 15:00, over 14 million registered voters, equivalent to 73.17%, cast their votes in Uzbekistan’s referendum on the revised Constitution across 1,758 polling stations. CEC Deputy Chairman Bakhrom Kuchkarov said the commission was looking into reports of possible irregularities.
Polling station irregularities have been reported by Gazeta.uz correspondents during the referendum in Tashkent, with voting for family members being the most common violation. Additionally, observers have been criticized for their passivity.
Ministers and officials of Uzbekistan voted in the referendum on the new Constitution. Some were spotted at polling stations by Gazeta.uz correspondents, while others had photos provided by their department’s press services.
The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and his family vote in a referendum on a revised Constitution. Photo.
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