New Uzbek Constitution Paves Way For President To Stay Until 2040, But What Else Changes?

There is a national referendum on April 30 in Uzbekistan to approve amendments to roughly 65 percent of the 1992 constitution. Among the changes is one that would allow incumbent President Shavkat Mirziyoev to stay in office until 2040. While headline-grabbing, this is not the only significant change under consideration. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss what the constitutional changes mean for Uzbekistan’s future are guests Navbahor Imamova, correspondent for the Uzbek service at Voice of America; Alisher Ilkhamov, director of Central Asia Due Diligence; and Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer with many years of experience in Central Asia who is currently an associate professor at the University of Southern California.