In Uzbekistan, referendum date set for extensive constitutional amendments, including presidential term expansion

Uzbek lawmakers have agreed to hold a referendum on a new constitution that would allow President Shavkat Mirziyoev to run for a third term in office. Uzbek parliament's lower house, the Legislative Chamber, on March 10 set April 30 as the date for the referendum, with 132 lawmakers supporting the move. Two MPs abstained and three did not take part in the vote. The amendments changing the constitution, [...] according to Uzbek officials, will "nullify" Mirziyoev's previous and current terms, allowing him to run for another two consecutive terms. The draft also extends the duration of a term from five to seven years. Mirziyoev's current term ends in 2026. According to the lawmakers, the amendments will change about two-thirds of the constitution, with the number of articles in the document rising to 155 from 128. The draft also declares Uzbekistan will be "a social state" while almost tripling the state's obligations [to] citizens. [...] The referendum, on April 30 will be the third referendum in the history of independent Uzbekistan. Mirziyoev's predecessor, the country’s late authoritarian first President Islam Karimov, who died in 2016, held two referendums in 1995 and 2002 prolonging his terms without elections and changing the length of presidential terms.
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