The Parliament of Uzbekistan is to elect an interim President to temporarily replace Islam Karimov, who recently passed away.
Advertisement
According to Article 96 of Uzbekistan’s constitution, the chairman of the upper chamber of parliament, Nigmatilla Yuldashev, should have been named the new acting president, but he declined, TV Rain reported.
He served as governor of Uzbekistan’s Jizzakh region from 1996 to September 2001, then as a governor of Samarqand region from September 2001 until his appointment as prime minister in 2003.
Islam Karimov, who crushed opposition throughout his almost 27-year rule, died last week without leaving an apparent successor.
Mirziyoyev had been tipped as a favourite to succeed the late Karimov, who governed Uzbekistan with an iron fist since first entering power while the country was still part of the Soviet Union.
The 78-year-old ruled the country since 1990.
Born 24 July 1957.
Mr Yuldashev is a low-profile figure and Reuters quoted an Uzbek source as saying the Senate head had declined the interim role because of his lack of experience.
One other contender also viewed as potential successor to Karimov is deputy prime minister Rustam Azimov, who appeared alongside Mirziyoyev at the funeral despite some media reporting his arrest. Many analysts expect Mirziyoyev to win.
Advertisement
Karimov had often justified his strong-arm tactics by highlighting the danger from Islamist militancy in the mainly Muslim country, which borders Afghanistan.
