The bill to amend the Uzbek Constitution contains an amendment that would extend the presidential term from five to seven years, if approved in a referendum.
The changes will also limit the president’s tenure in office to two consecutive terms, so that when the new constitution is adopted, the current president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, will have the right to run again, Interfax news agency reported.
Mirzoyoyev won the December 2016 elections, at which time he took office, following an interim presidency since September, when his predecessor, Islam Karimov, who ruled for 27 years, died. The current head of government was also prime minister for 13 years.
The draft, which has been approved by both chambers, was published on Wednesday and proposes to add 27 articles to the version of the constitution currently in force.
Uzbekistan’s Constitutional Court on Monday endorsed the holding of the referendum on constitutional reform on April 30, noting that the documents submitted »fully comply with the current legislation» in the country.
The reform was first put on the table by the Uzbek president. In December 2021, he proposed a number of changes, and subsequently, in May 2022, the Parliament set up a commission to develop these amendments.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
