President Mirziyoyev abandons plans to curb Karakalpak’s autonomy after a rare public protest in the northwestern province.
Uzbekistan has announced a state of emergency for a month in an autonomous republic where rare protests have forced President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to repeal certain constitutional reforms.
President Mirziyoyev’s press secretary Sherzod Asadov wrote in the Telegram on Saturday that the state of emergency in the Republic of Karakalpakstan would be extended from midnight on Sunday (19:00 GMT Saturday) to August 2. .
The measure was being taken to “ensure the safety of citizens, protect their rights and freedoms (and) restore law and order” in the territory, the statement added.
The president of Uzbekistan had arrived in Karakalpakstan on Saturday and promised that proposed constitutional amendments that would have weakened the status of the territory would be ruled out.
A demonstration was called on Friday to protest plans for constitutional reform that would have changed the status of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic that hosts the people of Karakalpak, a minority ethnic group with its own language, Uzbek authorities said.
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
Under the current Uzbek constitution, Karakalpakstan is described as a sovereign republic within Uzbekistan and has the right to secede by holding a referendum.
The new version of the constitution, on which Uzbekistan plans to hold a public vote in the coming months, would no longer mention Karakalpakstan’s sovereignty or right to secede.
But in a quick reaction to the protest, Mirziyoyev said on Saturday during a visit to Karakalpakstan that changes regarding his state should be withdrawn from the proposed reform, his office said in a statement.
The Karakalpakstan government said in a statement on Saturday that police had detained leaders of Friday’s protest and several other protesters who had resisted.
A joint statement from the police, parliament and the republic’s cabinet said the “provocateurs” had tried to “seize state institutions … divide society and destabilize the socio-political situation in Uzbekistan.”
“A group of organizers of mass riots and people who have actively resisted law enforcement have been arrested. Investigative actions are being carried out against them, “the statement said, blaming the riots on a” criminal group “.
The changes relating to Karakalpakstan were part of a broader constitutional reform proposed by Mirziyoyev, which also includes the strengthening of civil rights and the extension of the presidential term from five to seven years.
If the reform is approved in the planned referendum, it would restore Mirziyoyev’s mandate count and allow him to run for two more terms.