Uzbekistan elections 2015: Islam Karimov re-elected as president

Islam Karimov has been re-elected as Uzbekistan’s president, according to preliminary results of Sunday’s election.

The widely-predicted outcome saw Islam Karimov, who has led Uzbekistan for more than 25 years, secure 90% of the vote.

However, international observers have criticized the poll, saying that it fell short of international standards.

Uzbek officials said that there was a 91% turnout for the vote.

Islam Karimov, 77, has led Uzbekistan since 1989 when Uzbekistan was still part of the Soviet Union, making him the only leader in the country’s history.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) issued a statement on March 30 criticizing the election for a “lack of genuine political alternatives” to the incumbent and “persistent legal and organizational shortcomings”.

The OSCE also criticized Islam Karimov for disregarding the two-term limit placed on the presidency by the Uzbek constitution.