Mirziyoyev sworn in as Uzbek president

TASHKENT. July 14 (Interfax) - Shavkat Mirziyoyev was sworn in as the president of Uzbekistan at a joint meeting of the Legislative Chamber and the Senate of the Uzbek Parliament on Friday.

National television aired the inauguration ceremony live.

Members of the Central Elections Commission and the government, Constitutional Court judges, ambassadors accredited in Tashkent, and local and foreign journalists attended the ceremony at the Senate's grand hall, besides parliamentarians.

The banner and the emblem of the Uzbek president were brought into the hall before the ceremony began.

Central Elections Commission Chairman Zainiddin Nizamkhodjayev told the audience that Mirziyoyev was elected president in the early election of July 9. He congratulated Mirziyoyev and gave him the certificate of the president of Uzbekistan.

The president-elect put his hand on the constitution and the Koran and swore an oath: "I solemnly swear to faithfully serve the people of Uzbekistan, strictly comply with the Constitution and laws of the republic, guarantee the rights and freedoms of citizens, and diligently fulfill the duties assigned to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan."

Having counted all votes, the Uzbek Central Elections Commission said on July 11 that incumbent President Mirziyoyev had won the early presidential election by landslide and gained 87.05% of the vote.

The Commission estimated the voter turnout at 79.88%, or over 15.6 million. Mirziyoyev gained 80.31% of the vote in the 2021 elections, when the voter turnout stood at 80.04%.

This is the first presidential election held in Uzbekistan after the endorsement of constitutional amendments, which extend the presidential term of office from five to seven years.