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MowCowWhoHow III

(2,103 posts) Fri Sep 2, 2016, 05:08 AM Sep 2016

Uzbek President Karimov has died - diplomatic sources

Source: Reuters

ALMATY (Reuters) - Uzbek President Islam Karimov has died after suffering a stroke at the age of 78, three diplomatic sources told Reuters on Friday, leaving no obvious successor to take over Central Asia's most populous nation.

The Uzbek government did not immediately confirm the reports. Earlier on Friday it said in a statement that the health of Karimov, who has been in hospital since last Saturday, had sharply deteriorated.

"Yes, he has died," one of the diplomatic sources said when asked about Karimov's condition.

Long criticised by the West and human rights groups for his authoritarian style of leadership, Karimov had ruled Uzbekistan since 1989, first as the boss of the local Communist Party and then as president of the newly independent republic from 1991.

Read more: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/uzbek-president-karimov-has-died---diplomatic-sources/42416354

5 replies

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Uzbek President Karimov has died - diplomatic sources (Original Post) MowCowWhoHow III Sep 2016 OP

'Critical condition' seems to be the official line, still muriel_volestrangler Sep 2016 #1

Central Asia is going to be interesting for the next few years (nt) Recursion Sep 2016 #2

He'll be hard to replace. Maybe Mugabe is available rpannier Sep 2016 #3

This is one of those moments when it's easy to think "good". But it might not be. Igel Sep 2016 #5

Islam Karimov: Uzbekistan strongman's death confirmed muriel_volestrangler Sep 2016 #4

muriel_volestrangler

(101,318 posts)

1. 'Critical condition' seems to be the official line, still

Reply to MowCowWhoHow III (Original post)

Fri Sep 2, 2016, 05:18 AM

Sep 2016

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/02/uzbekistan-president-islam-karimov-critical-condition-government-confirms

but I suspect that means they're securing the 'critical' bits of infrastructure - military, police, media - for whoever has come out on top of the power game.

Kislov said he had received information from his sources that all key officials had their mobile telephones blocked on Tuesday, possibly to prevent them from organising or discussing potential plots.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/30/rumours-uzbek-president-islam-karimov-death-questions-succession

Recursion

(56,582 posts)

2. Central Asia is going to be interesting for the next few years (nt)

Reply to MowCowWhoHow III (Original post)

Fri Sep 2, 2016, 07:12 AM

Sep 2016

rpannier

(24,329 posts)

3. He'll be hard to replace. Maybe Mugabe is available

Reply to MowCowWhoHow III (Original post)

Fri Sep 2, 2016, 07:40 AM

Sep 2016

No chance he fell in a vat of boiling oil or died of heat stroke from forced labor I take it?

Good riddance

Igel

(35,310 posts)

5. This is one of those moments when it's easy to think "good". But it might not be.

Reply to rpannier (Reply #3)

Fri Sep 2, 2016, 05:01 PM

Sep 2016

Dictators are bad.

The mess that results when they go away can be worse.

Think Libya or Egypt or Iraq.

My canonical example is Tito and Yugoslavia. Tito, bad. Milosevic was caretaker, and the problems that festered under Tito, that Tito and Milosevic fed and relied on to make them indispensable finally led to implosion.

There's no civil society. (Which does not mean "polite society".) It's all government. Weaken the government, and there's no structure and no institutions to take its place--except militant groups and imams. Best hope is a benevolent despot who fosters the growth of civil society and is a good parent--a parent's job is to make himself obsolete.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,318 posts)

4. Islam Karimov: Uzbekistan strongman's death confirmed

Reply to MowCowWhoHow III (Original post)

Fri Sep 2, 2016, 02:35 PM

Sep 2016

The Uzbek government has confirmed the death of President Islam Karimov, six days after he was taken to hospital with a suspected brain haemorrhage.
...
Mr Karimov has no clear successor. There is no legal political opposition and the media are tightly controlled.
...
A UN report has described the use of torture under Mr Karimov as "systematic".
...
Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev will oversee the funeral, it was announced.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-37260375

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