Uzbek leader re-elected for seven-year term in snap election

Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev votes in early presidential election in Tashkent, Uzbekistan July 9, 2023. Press service of the President of Uzbekistan//Handout via REUTERS

TASHKENT (Reuters) -Uzbekistan's President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was re-elected with 87.1% of the vote on Sunday, the Central Election Commission said on Monday, citing preliminary results.

Mirziyoyev, who has lead Central Asia's most populous nation since 2016, called a snap election after changing the constitution through a referendum which reset his term count and extended the presidential term to seven years from five.