Uzbek strongman Islam Karimov cruised to a new five-year term Monday after facing a minimal challenge, prompting withering criticism from Western observers. The election commission in the tightly controlled Central Asian state said Karimov, 77, won more than 90 percent of the vote in Sunday's presidential election to extend his 25 years in power, with voter turnout reaching 91 percent. Karimov has led the most populous of Central Asia's five former Soviet republics since 1989, two years before collapse of the Soviet Union. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) questioned the independence of the electoral commission, noting that Karimov's candidacy breached constitutional term limits.
Uzbek strongman re-elected in landslide, OSCE dubious
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