TASHKENT: Uzbek strongman Islam Karimov cruised to a new five-year term on 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 per cent of the vote in Sunday’s presidential election to extend his 25 years in power, with voter turnout reaching 91 per cent.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2015

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