Election Review: Karimov's Control of Uzbekistan

Another recent election on the international scene that I would like to review is Uzbekistan's presidential election which occurred on December 23, 2007. But this election was no where near being free and fair because the reality is that similar to other nations in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is an authoritarian state dominated by its president, Islam Karimov.

Karimov has been the leader of Uzbekistan since 1989, first as head of the communist party during Soviet Union control, and then as president following independence in 1991. Since then he has ruled the country with an iron fist, maintaining strict control over all state matters. He has fixed past elections in his favor and all signs indicate this election being no different. International news organizations were barred from observing the election, the opposition candidates were merely puppets who offered meager competition, and not to mention the fact that Karimov's third run for office was in violation of the country's constitution. But the election was held anyway and he won with an unsurprising 91% of the vote.

Karimov justifies his hard line policies as being necessary to counteract Islamic fundamentalism, a threat which is present in Uzbekistan. But I think Karimov is using this more as an excuse to stay in power so we'll see how it plays out.

In terms of some background information on Uzbekistan, it has 26 million people, making it the largest country in Central Asia. The majority are ethnic Uzbek and most are also Sunni Muslim. Its major economic industry is the production of cotton (second largest exporter in the world) and about 40% of the people work in agriculture. But it is also a country plagued by poverty. The unemployment rate is estimated around 20% and economic growth is dismal. Unfortunately, Karimov and his administration have done little to improve these desolate conditions.

Thus, the future of Uzbekistan is an uncertain one. Is Karimov planning to hold on to power for life? Or will he hand over power to an eventual successor? And can the country continue the way it is going right now, with its increasing levels of social and economic unrest? It seems Uzbekistan is ripe for a color revolution similar to its fellow republics of the former Soviet Union (Ukraine, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan) and whether that happens is something to keep an eye on. As I've mentioned before, I am a huge supporter of democracy so hopefully authoritarian rule in Uzbekistan will become a thing of the past.