The Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan's Oliy Majlis (parliament) decided at its plenary session to extend the nationwide discussion of amendments to the country's constitution and leave unchanged the articles of the basic law defining the status of Karakalpakstan. The chamber's press service reported this on Monday.
"The deputies voted for extending the discussion for 10 days and excluding the articles on the status of Karakalpakstan from the amendments unanimously," the statement said.
On July 1 and 2, there were mass riots in Karakalpakstan. Authorities reported that a group of people using false slogans had misled many citizens into taking over local government. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev declared a state of emergency in Karakalpakstan and tasked the National Guard, Interior Ministry, State Security Service and EMERCOM with enforcing it. The Ministry of Defense was also involved in maintaining the state of emergency.
During the night-time curfew period in Karakalpakstan public order and life support objects are subjected to increased protection. Movement of public and private transport, operation of public catering enterprises and trade points is prohibited, and during the entire period of the state of emergency holding of any mass events is prohibited.
After the turmoil in the region, Mirziyoyev decided not to amend the constitution with regard to the status of Karakalpakstan.
In May, the parliament formed a commission to draft amendments to the country's basic law. The draft law prepared by the commission called for some 200 amendments, including two on the status of the region. It was proposed to exclude from the constitution, adopted in 1992, provisions stating that Karakalpakstan is a sovereign republic, which is part of the Republic of Uzbekistan and may secede from it on the basis of the results of a general referendum of the Karakalpak people.
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Based on materials from TASS