The Upper Chamber of the Oliy Majlis (Supreme Assembly) of Uzbekistan agreed in a plenary session on March 14 on a decision to hold a referendum on 30th April 2023 on the draft constitution in a new editorial adopted by the lower house of parliament. The draft constitution introduced 27 new articles to the current constitution, increasing the number of articles from 128 to 155. The existing 275 rules (norms) of the constitution will be increased to 434, which means that the current constitution is renewed by 65%. Despite the enormity of the amendments that have been made to the Constitution, the desired goal has already become clear to adults and children in our country. If the constitution is renewed, and this is most likely, then President Mirziyoyev will remain in power. Because in the presidential elections held on October 24, 2021, he was elected to a second and final term under the current constitution. Therefore, the real aim of the referendum is to pave the way for a third term for him. The renewal of the constitution through a referendum eliminates the previous two terms of the current President Mirziyoyev and opens the way for him to run for a third term, which can be understood from the statement of Sodiq Safoyev, First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan: “that after the amendments to the Constitution, a “new legal space” will be created, which will allow every citizen, especially the incumbent, to run for president.”.
Of course, the two main geopolitical players – Russia and America, who are fighting over Uzbekistan, give the green light to extending Mirziyoyev’s term. Because after the announcement of the referendum and before it, it was not noticed that these two large countries were exerting serious pressure regarding the renewal of the constitution. Mirziyoyev was reassured and seriously tried to give the referendum a popular character. By doing so, he wants to show that his stay in power came based on the new constitution, that is, by the will of the people, and not by his personal desire. Therefore, the government organizes measures and actions across the country and calls on people to actively participate in the referendum. Artists, celebrities, ministers, rulers and even scholars are participating in these measures and are calling on people to actively participate in the referendum. But no one talks about that abolition (bringing the previous two terms of the president to zero) and the press does not show care about it at all. Mirziyoyev himself also did not say a word about his plans for a third presidential term, rather, officials present the constitutional changes as an important step towards continuing the reforms that began with his coming to power. Of course, the government is organizing this play to show the whole world, especially the West, that the renewal of the constitution is occurring through the people’s will and is taking place on the basis of democratic rules. That is, another campaign is being conducted to “hypnotize” the people!
O Muslims of Uzbekistan: By participating in this charade, you will put another tyrant regime on your necks. Therefore, refuse to participate in the referendum and boycott it because the laws and constitutions in the systems of Kufr (disbelief) such as capitalism and especially tyrannical regimes become through time outdated and in need of reform, and tyrants and capitalists change them whenever they want according to their whims. Knowing that rejecting and boycotting the referendum is not a real solution, but rather the real solution is in Islam, where the constitution and laws are drawn up on the basis of the provisions of the Creator (swt) and they do not become outdated through time, does not change, and does not need reform, because in Islam there are appropriate solutions for any time and place.
O Muslims of Uzbekistan: As you know, the constitution and laws that forbid what is halal and allows the haram (forbidden) are kufr. You have witnessed for many years that the constitutions and laws of kufr have brought you nothing but misery, poverty, deprivation, disasters and misfortunes, and that your dictatorial rulers only seek to please their Kaffir colonial masters. So throw these kufr constitutions and laws into a deep valley along with their systems, and support ut Tahrir, which works to establish the Khilafah Rashidah (rightly guided Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood, which will bring the constitution and laws based on the Islamic faith and the rulings of the Sharia. In this is the satisfaction of Allah Almighty,
[وَفِي ذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ]
“So let whoever aspires to this strive ˹diligently˺.” [Al-Mutaffifin:26].
Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Uzbekistan
Press Release
7 Ramadan 1444 – Wednesday, 29th March 2023
No: 10 / 1444
(Translated)