Uzbekistan's incumbent President Shavkat Mirziyoyev expected to run for a second term

Uzbekistan President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who came to power in 2016, is widely expected to run for a second term. The development came after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party plans to nominate the incumbent President as its candidate for the upcoming elections. However, the 64-year-old Uzbek President refused to comment on any of the media reports. He has been holding the post of President following the death of the Central Asian nation's former Soviet leader and first president, Islam Karimov in 2016.

Opposition parties never criticise President Shavkat Mirziyoyev

According to the reports of US News, a total of four candidates have been nominated by the political parties but the experts claimed that there are high chances of the incumbent President to continue for the second term. It is worth mentioning that opposition parties never criticise President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on any of his steps. According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), since becoming president in 2016, he has implemented some key reforms including relaxing the censorship of critical news websites and releasing some political prisoners.

However, human rights groups say thousands of people in the country remain imprisoned on false charges and cite problems with forced labour. "The widescale reforms being pursued by the authorities in Uzbekistan have had a real and direct impact on these elections, but democratic development requires increased competition and respect for basic rights and freedoms," said George Tsereteli, coordinator and leader of the OSCE short-term observer mission in Uzbekistan.

Earlier, Uzbekistan supported India's candidature to obtain permanent member status at UNSC

Recently, India assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council on August 1, following which Uzbekistan Ambassador to India, Dilshod Akhatov voiced his support to Indian candidature to obtain the status of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Earlier in the month, the President-elect of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Abdulla Shahid during his visit to India affirmed his support to the ongoing campaign for UNSC reform, in a bid to ensure India a permanent seat at the UNSC. "The prospect for stable and sustainable development of Central Asia is directly linked with peace in neighbouring Afghanistan. The situation in our neighbouring country remains one of the serious factors affecting the stability in our region," added Shahid.

(With inputs from AP/ANI)

(Image Credit: @president_uz/Twitter)