Executive Branch
| Office | Name | Party | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Islam Karimov | 14 March 1990 | |
| Prime Minister | Shavkat Mirziyoyev | 12 December 2003 |
The president is elected by popular vote for a seven-year term in elections that cannot be described as free. Freedom House rates Uzbekistan as absolutely unfree in both political institutions and civil society.
The prime minister and deputy ministers are appointed by the president. In effect, the executive branch holds almost all power. The judiciary lacks independence and the legislature, which meets only a few days each year, has little power to shape laws.
The president selects and replaces provincial governors. Under the terms of a December 1995 referendum, Islam Karimov's first term was extended. Another national referendum was held January 27, 2002 to again extend Karimov's term. The referendum passed and Karimov's term was extended by act of the parliament to December 2007. Most international observers refused to participate in the process and did not recognize the results, dismissing them as not meeting basic standards. Karimov had himself re-elected for a technically unconstitutional third term in the 2007 election.
Read more about this topic: Politics Of Uzbekistan
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