Uzbeks have been voting in a constitutional referendum that could pave the way for President Shavkat Mirziyoev to remain in power until 2040.
Voters in the April 30 referendum are widely expected to endorse the proposals, which include extending presidential terms from five to seven years.
Other questions on the referendum would allow Mirziyoev, 65, to serve two more terms and extend his time in power until 2040. His current term ends in 2026.
Authorities have billed the changes as a way to improve governance in the tightly controlled nation. Officials have heavily promoted the vote, holding concerts and rallies ahead of the balloting to extol the reforms. Billboards in the capital Tashkent have shown imaginary text conversations encouraging Uzbek to cast their ballots.
SEE ALSO: Curb Your Enthusiasm! Uzbekistan's Campaign To Extend Mirziyoev's Reign Goes Into OverdriveThere were scattered reports of voting irregularities. The news site Gazeta.uz reported several instances of people voting for family members or relatives without authorization, and students at several universities said they had been ordered to submit photographs of themselves at polling stations, to prove they had cast ballots.
Students living in a hostel in Tashkent's Yakkasaray district told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service that election employees had forced them to go to the polling station to vote, threatening a fine if they didn't go.
One report said free food -- traditional Uzbek plov -- was being served to voters at several polling stations.
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Mirziyoyev cast his ballot at a polling station in Tashkent, stopping to greet other voters.
"Every person should have a belief in tomorrow in their heart and support reforms," he said, according to the Associated Press. "We are doing our best to ensure that, and, God willing, your trust in reforms will be remain strong."
The Central Election Commission declared the referendum valid after turnout surpassed 50 percent. It reached 81.4 percent by 5 p.m. local time. Preliminary vote results are expected on May 1.
Mirziyoev came to power in 2016, succeeding the late longtime leader Islam Karimov, who had turned Uzbekistan into one of the most oppressive countries in the world.
A former prime minister, Mirziyoev undertook a series of reforms to modernize the country’s oppressive bureaucracy, pushing Karimov loyalists out of top government posts and bringing in younger technocrats.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev (file photo)
He also clamped down on forced labor in the cotton harvest, which is a major source of hard currency.
But activists say rights abuses persist, there is no viable political opposition, and independent media are tightly restricted.
SEE ALSO: In Uzbekistan's Karakalpakstan, Trial Over Deadly Unrest Makes A 'Hero' Of Its Intended VillainIn July 2022, protests broke out in Karakalpakstan over a constitutional amendment that would have reduced the autonomy of the autonomous region.
The protests were met with a harsh police response that killed at least 21 people, according to rights activists. Dozens of people were jailed.
The proposed amendment was later withdrawn. The April 30 ballot does not include the amendment.
Other changes include abolishing capital punishment and boosting legal protections for people accused of crimes.