Uzbekistan's President Mirziyoyev announces snap election in July.

Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has called for a snap presidential election on July 9, following a referendum that approved constitutional amendments allowing him to run for two more terms. Mirziyoyev said he needed a new mandate to carry out further reforms in the country. The constitutional changes could see Mirziyoyev in power until 2040. There are no significant opposition figures in the country of 35 million people who could compete with Mirziyoyev. Election observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said the referendum was not representative.