Who Will be the Next Leader of Uzbekistan? Christian Minorities Wait and See
ICC NOTE: With the death of President Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan is in new territory as he has reigned over the country with an iron fist since its independence from the then collapsed Soviet Union. The likelihood will be the Prime Minister who has already voiced his desire to reach out to Moscow for stronger ties with their norther neighbor. The Christian population of Uzbekistan is a mere .75 percent but persecuted just as much as the majority Muslim population. Uzbekistan follows a Communist perspective toward religion. It is seen as alien and destabilizing to the social order. Churches must go through an onerous registration process which does not always lead to authorization, but provides the names of its members to the government. Raids are common as well as arrests for distributing “extremist” literature which is typically a Bible and Christian books.
9/7/2016 Uzbekistan (Mission News Network) – A power vacuum along with uncertainty looms for Uzbekistan in the wake of the death of its president, Islam Karimov. His death from cerebral hemorrhage came very near the 25th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence from the Soviet Union.
For 27 years, Karimov governed like a dictator over his regime. Now that he’s been inhumed, the country is waiting to see what’s next. His style’s been compared to that of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un.
Of the five post-Soviet regimes in Central Asia, Uzbekistan’s is widely regarded as the most obstreperous. Will Karimov’s successor continue down that path? Who has been tapped to lead? What is ‘Plan B’? Right now, it’s assumed that Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev will assume the office of the President. Here’s what’s disconcerting: he’s already reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin and let him know he’s interesting in more strategic relations with Moscow.
Uzbekistan borders Afghanistan as well all other Central Asian countries. Any instability there can easily spread to the core of the region, connecting eastern Uzbekistan, southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan.