 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
POLITICS
Nikolai BORISOV
Nikolai Borisov, Lecturer in General Political Science and Special Political Disciplines, Department of History, Political Science, and Law, Russian State University of the Humanities (Moscow, Russia)
It was generally expected that in 2006 a mechanism for transferring power to the next president would finally be found, or that extending the incumbent president’s time in office to a third term would be legally justified. President Karimov’s term expires in January 2007, seven years after his inauguration in January 2000. As 2006 drew to its close, it became increasingly obvious that there would be no presidential election in January 2007. The Constitutional Law of 2002 on the Results of the Referendum and the Key Principles for Organizing State Power created a legal collision that was never publicly discussed inside the country. Under the law, the elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Legislative Assembly of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Zhokargy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, as well as of the representative state power structures in the regions, districts, and towns are held the year their constitutional powers expire, that is, on the first Sunday of the third decade in December. In other words, the law that postponed the presidential election from January 2007 to 23 December, 2007 extended Islam Karimov’s presidential term by nearly twelve months. This contradicts the Constitution, under which the president remains in power for seven years. President Karimov’s term expired on 22 January, 2007, after this his presidential powers are no longer effective, at least theoretically. This should not cause serious destabilization inside the country, or make him illegitimate as the president beyond the country’s borders. The very fact that his powers were extended for twelve months (which means that the presidential term is eight years) betrayed a behind-the-scenes search for legal mechanisms to…………….
Please fill in the subscription form to obtain the full text.
 |