Uzbekistan held a tightly controlled presidential election Sunday, the first vote since the death of authoritarian leader Islam Karimov who ruled the country for 27 years.

Karimov led Uzbekistan since before the 1991 Soviet collapse, first as its communist boss and then as its president. During his long tenure, he ruthlessly crushed all opposition and was denounced by international rights groups for abuses that included killings and torture.

The odds-on favorite in Sunday's election is acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who spent 13 years as Karimov's prime minister.

Uzbekistan's Election Commission said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the turnout in the presidential vote was nearly 70 percent by 3 p.m. (1000 GMT, 5 a.m. EST). The voting wrapped up five hours later but results are not expected until early Monday.

Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous nation, is rich in natural resources and borders Afghanistan, making it of strategic interest to Russia, the U.S. and China.

Karimov never cultivated a successor and his death in September raised concerns that the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 32 million might see fierce infighting over its leadership. Mirziyoyev, however, shifted into the acting president's job quickly and without any visible tensions, highlighting an apparent consensus between regional clans.

The 59-year old Mirziyoyev faced three nominal rivals Sunday. Two of them challenged Karimov in past elections, each receiving about 3 percent of the vote. But neither candidate campaigned as a vocal critic of Mirziyoyev, and the fourth contender has been just as pliant.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitored the election, has described the campaign as "strictly regulated."

"There is no perceptible exchange of views among the candidates with regard to their programs," the OSCE said. "All candidates refrain from criticizing the government or each other, and claim to target distinct segments of the electorate."

Sunday's election is a mere formality to make Mirziyoyev legitimate, Sanjar Umarov, the leader of an Uzbek reform movement in exile, told The Associated Press.

"The actual choice was made on Sept. 8, when Mirziyoyev was appointed acting president," Umarov said in a phone interview from Memphis, Tennessee.

Umarov spent four years in prison for embezzlement, a charge his supporters say was politically motivated, before being released in 2009.

Umarov says he is cautiously optimistic about Mirziyoyev because the former prime minister is intimately familiar with the weaknesses of Karimov's system of power.

"I think he understands that he needs to foster a civil society. I think he understands that he needs to restore democratic institutes," he said. "He knows the system of Karimov's regime well. I doubt he will want to replicate it."

Shortly after Karimov died, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Uzbekistan and met with Mirziyoyev, a trip that reflected Moscow's desire to strengthen its influence in the country.

The U.S. installed a base in Uzbekistan to support military action in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Washington was forced to abandon the facility in 2005 as relations between Uzbekistan and the U.S. soured following a government crackdown on rioters in the Ferghana Valley city of Andijan that is believed to have left hundreds dead.

Almost all Western media long have been barred from reporting inside Uzbekistan, and the country's independent journalists and activists have faced sustained harassment.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>MOSCOW (AP) — Polls have opened in Uzbekistan’s first presidential election since the death of authoritarian leader Islam Karimov who ruled the country for 27 years.

Acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who spent 13 years as Karimov’s prime minister, is expected to easily win a five-year term. Karimov led Uzbekistan since before the Soviet collapse, first as its communist boss and then as president.

Following Karimov’s sudden death in September, Mirziyoyev shifted into the acting president’s job quickly and without any visible tensions, highlighting apparent consensus between regional clans. Mirziyoyev faces three nominal rivals. Two of them challenged Karimov in past elections, each receiving about 3 percent of the vote.</s>MOSCOW — Voters are casting ballots on Sunday in Uzbekistan's tightly controlled presidential election, the first vote since the death of authoritarian leader Islam Karimov who ruled the country for 27 years.

Karimov led Uzbekistan since before the Soviet collapse, first as its communist boss and then as president. During his long tenure, he ruthlessly crushed all opposition and was denounced by international human rights groups for abuses that included killings and torture.

Uzbekistan's Election Commission said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the turnout in the presidential vote was nearly 70 by 3 p.m. (1000 GMT, 5 a.m. EST), five hours before the polls were to close.

Karimov never cultivated a succession and his death in September death raised concerns that the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 32 million might see fierce infighting over its leadership. Mirziyoyev, however, shifted into the acting president's job quickly and without any visible tensions, highlighting apparent consensus between regional clans.

The 59-year old Mirziyoyev faces three nominal rivals. Two of them challenged Karimov in past elections, each receiving about 3 of the vote. However, neither candidate has campaigned as a vocal critic of Mirziyoyev, while the fourth contender has been just as pliant.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which deployed an observer team to monitor the election, has described the campaign as "strictly regulated" and "moderately visible."

"There is no perceptible exchange of views among the candidates with regard to their programs," the OSCE said in an interim report. "All candidates refrain from criticizing the government or each other, and claim to target distinct segments of the electorate."

Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous nation, is rich in natural resources and borders Afghanistan, making it of strategic interest to Russia, the U.S. and China.

Shortly after Karimov died, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Uzbekistan and met with Mirziyoyev, a trip that reflected Moscow's desire to strengthen its influence in the country.

The U.S. installed a military base in the country for action in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks. Washington was forced to abandon the facility in 2005 as relations between the Uzbekistan and the U.S. soured following a government crackdown on rioters in the Ferghana Valley city of Andijan that is believed to have left hundreds dead.

Almost all Western media long have been barred from reporting inside Uzbekistan, and the country's independent journalists and activists have faced sustained harassment.</s>MOSCOW (AP) — Voters in Uzbekistan are casting ballots Sunday in the tightly controlled, ex-Soviet nation’s first presidential election since the death of Islam Karimov, the authoritarian leader who ruled for 27 years.

Acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who spent 13 years as Karimov’s prime minister, is expected to easily win a five-year term in the Central Asia country.

Karimov led Uzbekistan since before the Soviet collapse, first as its communist boss and then as president. During his long tenure, he ruthlessly crushed all opposition, silenced the media and was repeatedly denounced by international human rights groups for abuses that included killings and torture.

Karimov also never cultivated a successor. His September death raised concerns that the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 32 million might see fierce infighting over its leadership that could allow radical Islamists to rise to power or exploit the situation.

But the 59-year old Mirziyoyev shifted into the acting president’s job quickly and without any visible tensions, highlighting apparent consensus between regional clans.

In Sunday’s election, Mirziyoyev faces three nominal rivals. Two of them, Hotamjon Ketmonov and Narimon Umarov challenged Karimov in past elections, each receiving about 3 percent of the vote.

However, neither candidate has campaigned as a vocal critic of Mirziyoyev, while the fourth contender, Sarvar Otamuratov, has been just as pliant.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the main trans-Atlantic security and rights group, deployed an observer team to monitor the election. It has described the campaign as “strictly regulated” and “moderately visible.”

“There is no perceptible exchange of views among the candidates with regard to their programs,” the OSCE said in an interim report. “All candidates refrain from criticizing the government or each other, and claim to target distinct segments of the electorate.”

Under Karimov, Uzbekistan’s relations with its ex-Soviet neighbors were strained by disputes over water, energy and other issues. Analyst Arkady Dubnov noted in a commentary for the Carnegie Moscow Center that Mirziyoyev has worked quickly to ease tensions.

Dubnov also pointed to Mirziyoyev’s pledge to liberalize foreign currency trading as a sign that he was planning to ease some of the rigid rules established under Karimov.

Since gaining independence in 1991, Uzbekistan has pursued a policy of economic self-reliance and sought to balance its diplomatic ties with the West and Russia, playing them against each other.

Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s most populous nation, is rich in natural resources and borders Afghanistan, making it of strategic interest to Russia, the United States and China.

Shortly after Karimov died, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Uzbekistan and met with Mirziyoyev, a trip that reflected Moscow’s desire to strengthen its influence in the country.

The United States installed a military base in the country for action in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Washington was forced to abandon the facility in 2005 as relations between the Uzbekistan and the U.S. soured following a government crackdown on rioters in the Ferghana Valley city of Andijan that is believed to have left hundreds dead.

Almost all Western media long were barred from reporting inside Uzbekistan, and the country’s independent journalists and activists have faced sustained harassment.</s>TASHKENT (TCA) — Acting President Shavkat Mirziyaev has won the December 4 presidential election in Uzbekistan with 88.6 percent of the vote, Uzbekistan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) said today, announcing preliminary results of the presidential election.

CEC Chairman Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov said late on December 4 that the official turnout was 87.83 percent, with more than 17.9 million out of 20 million eligible voters taking part in the election.



The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement on December 5 that the presidential election underscored "the need for comprehensive reforms" in the country. 



None of the six previous post-Soviet elections observed in Uzbekistan by ODHIR monitors has been deemed democratic and fair.



The 59-year-old Mirziyaev, who had been the country’s prime minister since 2003, was made acting president six days after longtime President Islam Karimov’s death was announced in early September.



Mirziyaev earlier said he would continue the political course of Karimov.



There were three other candidates on the ballot, all of which support the government: Khatamjon Ketmanov of the People’s Democratic Party, Sarvar Otamuratov of the Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival) Democratic Party, and Nariman Umarov of the Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party.



Ketmanov and Umarov both ran in a 2015 presidential election that critics described as a sham organized to secure a fourth term for Karimov, who had prolonged his power through a series of votes that were condemned as undemocratic by Western states and observers, RFE/RL reported.</s>Yet the biggest challenge may still lie ahead for the 59-year-old former communist apparatchik - establishing the same level of authority as his all-powerful predecessor, Islam Karimov, in whose shadow Mirziyoyev spent more than a decade.

Karimov, who ran the resource-rich former Soviet republic of 32 million people with an iron fist since 1989, died from a stroke in September, aged 78.

Mirziyoyev, cabinet head since 2003, swiftly emerged as Karimov's most likely successor after the speaker of the upper chamber Senate stepped aside for him. Under the constitution, the speaker would normally assume the role of interim head of state.

The size of Mirziyoyev's election victory, whether he secures a realistic 65-70 percent of the vote or a Karimov-style 90-plus percent, will indicate how much authority he has to reform the political and economic systems, said Kazakhstan-based Central Asia analyst Alexander Knyazev.

"The outcome will show whether the state apparatus is ready for changes," he said.

Polling stations opened at 6 a.m. (0100 GMT) and 55.8 percent of Uzbekistan's more than 20 million eligible voters had already cast their ballots by 1 p.m., the Central Election Commission said, well above the minimum 33 percent threshold set by law.

Polls close at 8 p.m. (1500 GMT), with preliminary results expected later in the day.

Mirziyoyev did not speak to reporters when he went to cast his vote with his family at a polling station in Tashkent.

Despite pledging continuity, Mirziyoyev has announced plans for economic reforms, including a liberalization of the tightly controlled foreign exchange market, and has acted to ease strains in relations with neighboring Central Asian countries.

"We are seeing many positive changes in our life, we hope for even more positive changes in our country," said Temur Samiev, a pensioner, as he voted in Tashkent.

Diplomats say Mirziyoyev is also expected to move Uzbekistan closer to Russia, its Soviet-era overlord.

An engineer by training, Mirziyoyev began ascending the Communist Party career ladder in the 1980s, becoming a member of Uzbekistan's legislature by the time the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

According to a 2009 United States embassy cable published by Wikileaks, Karimov regarded Mirziyoyev as "unprofessional" and planned to replace him eventually, although not immediately.

According to another embassy cable, sent in 2008, Mirziyoyev had instructed state media to never show him on TV for fear of making Karimov jealous. Karimov was retaining Mirziyoyev as cabinet head because of his loyalty to Karimov's family, the same cable said.

Diplomatic and business sources have told Reuters that Mirziyoyev has been able to secure support for his presidential bid from Uzbekistan's powerful informal clans by agreeing to share power with two other political heavyweights, Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov and security chief Rustam Inoyatov.

Some analysts, however, say this arrangement may only delay the fight for ultimate power within the political elite, which may destabilize the Muslim nation, which borders Afghanistan.

The United States, Russia and China all watch developments in Uzbekistan closely and are concerned about its stability because it is a major exporter of natural gas and cotton. At least two million Uzbeks work abroad, mostly in Russia.

Tashkent fought an Islamist insurgency in the 1990s and thousands of Uzbeks are believed to have joined Islamic State militants fighting in Syria and Iraq.

Running against Mirziyoyev in Sunday's election are Khatamjon Ketmonov, Narimon Umarov and Sarvar Otamuratov, the nominees of three parties in parliament which present themselves as the opposition but have always toed the official line.</s>MOSCOW — Uzbekistan's acting president has overwhelmingly won a tightly controlled presidential election in the Central Asian country's first vote since the death of authoritarian leader Islam Karimov, election officials said Monday.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev garnered 88.61 of the vote, Central Election Commission head Murza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov said during a briefing in Tashkent. Turnout was 87.83 , according to officials.

None of the other three presidential contenders managed to get more than 4 of the ballots cast.

While there were some minor improvements compared to previous elections, the vote was marred by a muzzled media, lack of independent candidates and widespread falsification, according to a report released by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

The election "underscored the need of comprehensive reform to address long-standing systemic shortcomings," the OSCE said in its preliminary findings.

But the result will consolidate Mirziyoyev's position following his appointment as acting president just six days after Karimov's death was announced at the beginning of September.

Karimov led Uzbekistan since before the 1991 Soviet collapse, first as its communist boss and then as its president. During his long tenure, he ruthlessly crushed all opposition and was denounced by international rights groups for abuses that included killings and torture. His death raised concerns that the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 32 million might see fierce infighting over the choice of a successor.

The 59-year old Mirziyoyev, an engineer by training, served as Karimov's prime minister for 13 years after his appointment in 2003.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Mirziyoyev. In a phone call, Putin invited Mirziyoyev to visit Russia, the Kremlin said in a statement.

While Mirziyoyev is known as pro-Russia and is expected to move Uzbekistan closer to Moscow, he is also likely to make overtures to Europe and the West, according to Daniil Kislov, the editor of Moscow-based news agency Ferghana.ru.

Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous nation, is rich in natural resources and borders Afghanistan, making it of strategic interest to Russia, the U.S. and China.

The U.S. built a base in Uzbekistan to support military action in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks. Washington was forced to abandon the facility in 2005 as relations between Uzbekistan and the U.S. soured following a government crackdown on rioters in the Ferghana Valley city of Andijan that is believed to have left hundreds dead.

The change of regime has raised hopes that there might be some relaxation of Uzbekistan's authoritarian political power.

In Tashkent, the security around the president's cortege has been reduced and there were reportedly fewer police present at polling stations Sunday. The OSCE was allowed to send a full team of electoral observers for the first time.

"The new president and the new president's team want to change to change the (political) climate in many ways, but they will probably be superficial changes," Kislov said.</s>MOSCOW (AP) — Uzbek election officials say that acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has overwhelmingly won a tightly controlled presidential election.

Mirziyoyev garnered 88.61 percent of the vote, according to the head of the Central Election Commission.

Murza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov said during a briefing in Tashkent on Monday that Mirziyoyev got 15.9 million votes.

Sunday’s poll was the first election in the Central Asian country since the August death of authoritarian leader Islam Karimov, who ruled for 27 years. Karimov’s demise sparked fears of a power battle but the country’s regional clans quickly grouped around Mirziyoyev.

Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s most populous nation, is rich in natural resources and borders Afghanistan, making it of strategic interest to Russia, the U.S. and China.
Voters in Uzbekistan go to the polls for a presidential election, the first since the death of Islam Karimov who governed the country for 25 years.