Uzbek president who has eased restrictions heads to new term

By AGNIESZKA PIKULICKA-WILCZEWSKA
Associated Press

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (AP) — Uzbekistan’s president is expected to win a new term by a landslide against weak competition in an election Sunday. Shavkat Mirziyoyev has relaxed many of the policies of his dictatorial predecessor but has made little effort at political reform. He took office in 2016 upon the death of Islam Karimov and faces four relatively low-visibility candidates who did not even show up for televised debates. They instead sent proxies who failed to engage in substantial discussions. Independent candidates weren’t allowed.