Karimov for Prime Minister?
Karimov for Prime Minister?
Legislative changes in Uzbekistan strengthening the powers of political parties to appoint or dismiss the prime minister, and demarcating the roles of president and premier, could be designed to work in President Islam Karimov’s favour. Some NBCentralAsia experts say he is laying the ground to step down from the presidency and become prime minister.
On March 5, the lower house of Uzbekistan’s legislature passed a law concerning political parties, which for the first time admits the concepts of a parliamentary majority and party factions, including an opposition. Under the new law, the president will have to consult all parties represented in parliament when he appoints or sacks the prime minister and regional governors.
Parliament also passed constitutional amendments dropping the clause which states that the president is head of the executive branch of power. Although the post of prime minister exists, the president currently fulfills many of the responsibilities associated with that job.
Both the law and constitutional amendments were proposed by President Karimov in November 2006 and the changes are due to come into force from January next year.
An NBCentralAsia observer in Tashkent believes the president launched these changes as a way of engineering a shift towards a parliamentary system in which he would be prime minister.
“At the beginning of next year, Islam Karimov could become prime minister with everything that entails – he gets to run the state again but fends off accusations from critics abroad that he has usurped power,” said the commentator.
Karimov has been president of Uzbekistan continuously since 1989, and was last re-elected in 2000. His current five-year term was extended to seven in 2002, by means of a referendum. January 22, 2007 was seven years to the day since he took office. In short, his constitutional powers have formally expired. But a 2002 ruling by the Uzbek parliament says elections are held only in December of the year when a president’s term expires.
The next presidential election has now been scheduled for December.
A source in the opposition Committee of the National Salvation of Uzbekistan says strengthening the role of political parties will be an empty gesture if Karimov becomes prime minister. “The parties now represented in parliament are unable to take decisions, and they still won’t be able to take them even after the law is adopted,” said the source.
Uzbekistan currently has five officially-registered political parties, while the opposition parties operate illegally.
One NBCentralAsia political expert based in Uzbekistan says that despite although the latest legislation recognises the existence of opposition factions, that is no guarantee that the current opposition parties will be able to operate legally.
“Even though it has adopted this law, this pliable parliament cannot guarantee that the real opposition parties – Erk and Birlik – will be allowed to operate at all, let alone grow stronger,” he said. “They have not been granted registration for many years. These two parties will never be able to take part in parliamentary elections or nominate candidates.”
When only pro-government and pseudo-opposition parties are allowed to exist in Uzbekistan, the new party law is “only to Karimov’s advantage”, the expert added.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
On March 5, the lower house of Uzbekistan’s legislature passed a law concerning political parties, which for the first time admits the concepts of a parliamentary majority and party factions, including an opposition. Under the new law, the president will have to consult all parties represented in parliament when he appoints or sacks the prime minister and regional governors.
Parliament also passed constitutional amendments dropping the clause which states that the president is head of the executive branch of power. Although the post of prime minister exists, the president currently fulfills many of the responsibilities associated with that job.
Both the law and constitutional amendments were proposed by President Karimov in November 2006 and the changes are due to come into force from January next year.
An NBCentralAsia observer in Tashkent believes the president launched these changes as a way of engineering a shift towards a parliamentary system in which he would be prime minister.
“At the beginning of next year, Islam Karimov could become prime minister with everything that entails – he gets to run the state again but fends off accusations from critics abroad that he has usurped power,” said the commentator.
Karimov has been president of Uzbekistan continuously since 1989, and was last re-elected in 2000. His current five-year term was extended to seven in 2002, by means of a referendum. January 22, 2007 was seven years to the day since he took office. In short, his constitutional powers have formally expired. But a 2002 ruling by the Uzbek parliament says elections are held only in December of the year when a president’s term expires.
The next presidential election has now been scheduled for December.
A source in the opposition Committee of the National Salvation of Uzbekistan says strengthening the role of political parties will be an empty gesture if Karimov becomes prime minister. “The parties now represented in parliament are unable to take decisions, and they still won’t be able to take them even after the law is adopted,” said the source.
Uzbekistan currently has five officially-registered political parties, while the opposition parties operate illegally.
One NBCentralAsia political expert based in Uzbekistan says that despite although the latest legislation recognises the existence of opposition factions, that is no guarantee that the current opposition parties will be able to operate legally.
“Even though it has adopted this law, this pliable parliament cannot guarantee that the real opposition parties – Erk and Birlik – will be allowed to operate at all, let alone grow stronger,” he said. “They have not been granted registration for many years. These two parties will never be able to take part in parliamentary elections or nominate candidates.”
When only pro-government and pseudo-opposition parties are allowed to exist in Uzbekistan, the new party law is “only to Karimov’s advantage”, the expert added.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
