Central Asia's royals are always competing for most-loved status. While Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan contemplates accepting a set of awe-inspiring new powers, in Uzbekistan the president's official fan club is begging their dear leader to found the Karimov Dynasty.
From Uzmetronom.com:
Uzbek academic Rustam Abdullayev appealed to the citizens of the country to think about the benefits of absolute monarchy, since, according to him, a republican form of government is not justifying itself. As an example of the ineffectiveness of European models of government [i.e. democracy] for Central Asia, the academic cites the situations in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. Earlier, the same academic spoke about handing over power by inheritance and sang a tender song for the oldest daughter of the Uzbek president, stating: “let her have any property that gives her independence in her personal life as well in the political and social life of the country."
(Someone get this guy tenure.)
Some analysts whom we asked to comment on the extraordinary idea of the Uzbek scientist said they did not take him seriously, but others, noting that in Uzbekistan not a single word appears by accident, saw in it an attempt by authorities to probe the public's reaction to the planned policy reform.
Despite the overpowering love, poor King Karimov remains paranoid as ever. This week, uznews.net reports, he has prepared to host an SCO summit in Tashkent by closing shops along the visiting dignitaries' motorcade routes. Tough love.
David Trilling is Eurasianet’s managing editor.
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