ALMATY (Reuters) – A uncommon public protest came about in Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan autonomous republic over a deliberate constitutional reform that might change its standing, Uzbek authorities stated on Saturday.
Karakalpakstan, situated in northwestern Uzbekistan, is residence to Karakalpaks, a definite ethnic minority group with its personal language, and the present Uzbek constitution describes it as a sovereign republic inside Uzbekistan that has the proper to secede by holding a referendum.
The new model of the constitution – on which Uzbekistan plans to carry a referendum in the approaching months – would now not point out Karakalpakstan’s sovereignty or proper for secession.
According to Uzbekistan’s Interior Ministry, “on account of misunderstanding the constitutional reforms” a gaggle of Karakalpakstan residents marched by its capital Nukus and held a rally on the metropolis’s central market on Friday.
Separately, the federal government of Karakalpakstan stated in a press release that protesters had tried to take over authorities buildings, prompting police to intervene and detain their leaders and people who put up lively resistance.
Order has now been restored in the province, which has a inhabitants of two million folks, stated the authorities in Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic that has shut ties with Russia.
Changes regarding Karakalpakstan are only one a part of the broad constitutional reform proposed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which additionally consists of strengthening civil rights and lengthening the presidential time period to seven years from 5.
If the referendum endorses the reform, it can reset Mirziyoyev’s time period depend and permit him to run for 2 extra phrases.
(Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Gareth Jones)
