At a joint meeting of the Legislative Chamber and Senate of Uzbekistan on September 8, Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyayev was appointed the country`s acting president, according to the Uzbek president`s press service.
During the consideration of the matter, Chairman of the Senate Nigmatulla Yuldashev, who under the Constitution was supposed to become acting president, put forward a proposal that it would be appropriate to temporarily impose duties and powers of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyaev ”given the many years of his experience in senior positions in government and administration, and respect among the population.”
At the same time, Article 96 of the Constitution clearly states that ”in case of impossibility of performance by the incumbent President of the Republic of Uzbekistan of their duties, their duties and powers shall temporarily be assigned to the Chairman of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.”
According to this article, the presidential election shall be held within a three-month term.
A 59-year-old Mirzijaev graduated from the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Land Reclamation. He began his career in the position of `khokim` of the Mirzo-Ulugbek district of Tashkent, then worked as khokim of Jizzakh and Samarkand regions. Mirzijaev has been the country`s Prime Minister since 2003.
After the death on September 2 of the first President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, Mirzijaev presided over a state commission on organizing Karimov`s funeral. Many observers consider him the main contender for the post of the president of Uzbekistan.
