Moscow (EFE) opponents.
The 10,784 polling stations opened their doors at 03:00 GMT and will close at 15:00 GMT.
Elections are considered valid if at least 33% of registered voters participate in them.
Mirziyóyev, about to turn 66 and who has been in power since 2006, was re-elected in 2021 with 80.1% of the vote and called early presidential elections last May after the constitutional reform on April 30.
The reform, approved by 90.2% of the voters, modified two thirds of the Constitution and, among other things, extended the presidential mandate from five to seven years, although with a limit of two terms.
This last change did not affect the head of state in office at the time the new fundamental law was adopted, so Mirziyóyev, whose term expired in 2026, could run again and could also remain in power until 2037.
Concern for certain freedoms
Despite the fact that the new Constitution improves some safeguards to guarantee greater respect for certain rights and freedoms, there are still many concerns inside and outside the country about freedom of assembly, association and expression, as well as the lack of independence of the judiciary.
The president was praised in his first years in office for the economic opening and timid liberal reforms, such as the fight against child exploitation in the Uzbek cotton harvest, appreciated throughout the world, but there is still no opposition in the country.
None of the five registered parties in the country openly opposes the president’s policies and agenda.
Mirziyóyev has the support of two parties in these elections: the Liberal Democratic Party that nominated him, as well as the Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival) force.
The People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan nominated its leader and first vice-president of the Lower House, Ulugbek Inoyatov, as its candidate; and the Social Democratic Party Adolat (Justice) elected the only female candidate for president, the first vice president of the Supreme Court, Robajon Majmúdova.
Finally, the Ecological Party opted for the candidacy of Abdushukur Jamzáev, president of the party.
A total of 815,000 citizens have already cast their ballots in advance between June 28 and July 5, according to the Central Election Commission.