Uzbekistan’s leader calls for snap presidential election in July

There are no significant opposition figures in the country of 35 million people who could compete with Mirziyoyev [File: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters]

Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has called a snap presidential election on July 9 to give himself a new mandate to help deal with the “sharp and complex processes” going on in the world.

Despite serving fewer than two years of his second term, Mirziyoyev, 65, said on Monday that he felt he needed a new mandate to carry out further reforms in the country.