Constitutional referendum scheduled for April 30

The issue of obtaining the opinion of the Constitutional Court regarding the decision to amend the Constitution was also supported.

The following will be written on the referendum ballot: “Do you accept the constitutional law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan?”

“We are only accepting the new version. Even after that the day of the adoption of the Constitution – December 8 will be celebrated as a national holiday,” Speaker of the Legislative Chamber Nurdinjon Ismailov clarified.

132 of the deputies who participated in the plenary session of the Chamber on March 10 supported the law on the new version of the Constitution, two deputies abstained, three deputies did not vote.

The decision to put the new version of the Constitution to a referendum was adopted with the support of 134 deputies; two deputies abstained, one did not vote.

According to the new edition, the number of articles in the Constitution of Uzbekistan is increased from the current 128 to 155, and its norms from 275 to 434. Conceptual changes are being made to 91 of 128 articles. In general, 65% of the constitution is being changed.

The changes include extending the presidential term from 5 to 7 years, reducing the number of senators from 100 to 65, declaring Uzbekistan a social state, separating the powers of local councils and governors, and others.

It should be recalled that the first time President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced about the constitutional reform was in November 2021, in his inauguration speech at the beginning of his second presidential term. In his greetings sent on December 7 of the same year, on the eve of the Constitution Day, the head of state proposed to adopt the basic law in 2022, on the 30th anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The process of updating the Constitution began in May 2022, and the Constitutional Commission headed by deputy Akmal Saidov worked on it.