Reuters - 01.28.2002

 

Reuters

Uzbek voters back extended presidential term

By Dmitry Solovyov

TASHKENT (Reuters) - Uzbekistan has embraced the idea of extending the presidential term of office, with more than 90 percent of voters backing the proposal in a referendum derided in the West as a ploy to prolong President Islam Karimov's stay in power.

Abdurafik Akhadov, head of the Central Election Commission in the Central Asian state, told a news conference that between 91 and 92 percent had voted "yes" to a proposal to extend the president's constitutional term from five to seven years.

Akhadov said 93-94 percent backed a second proposal to replace the one-chamber parliament with a bicameral legislature.

"An overwhelming majority voted in favour of the questions put by the referendum," he said.

The authorities have not made clear whether the measure extending presidential terms would apply to Karimov's current term, which began in 2000.

But the president, seen in the West as one of the most authoritarian of the former Soviet leaders, has a history of rewriting the rules to stay in power.

His first term, which would have ended in 1995, was extended to 2000 in a referendum. His landslide re-election in 2000 was boycotted by Western monitors as unfair.

Akhadov said final results would be released within 10 days. Turnout stood at 91.58 percent of 13.2 million eligible voters.

AWKWARD TIMING

The referendum came at an awkward time for the United States, which has relied on Karimov to provide bases for the military campaign in neighbouring Afghanistan while at the same time denouncing his record on democracy.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Elizabeth Jones, latest in a parade of American officials through Tashkent in recent weeks, was due to hold security talks with top Uzbek officials. She was to meet Karimov on Tuesday.

Last week, U.S. State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher denounced the referendum, saying previous Uzbek elections were neither free nor fair and Washington was concerned the vote on presidential terms would "not be consistent with international standards".

But General Tommy Franks, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, visited Tashkent last week and praised regional leaders for their support for the war on terrorism.

After voting on Sunday, Karimov shrugged off Western criticism and made clear there would be no drastic change.

"At a certain stage of historic change in your country, you need a strong will and a certain figure...And you have to use some authoritarian methods at times," he told reporters. "I have never concealed that the president enjoys vast powers."

Many suspect the 63-year-old former Soviet communist boss, who has ruled the country almost without interruption since 1989, could use his compliant parliament to try to alter a constitution which prohibits him from seeking a third term.

Karimov says the new assembly will better represent the country's regions. His critics argue that little will change as all regional heads are already handpicked by Karimov.

New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch described Sunday's referendum as a "blatant grab for power".