Uzbekistan - August 2026

On 14 August 2026, Uzbekistan enacted a new Constitutional Law on powers and makeup of the Presidential Administration (a body that assists the President organizational and oversight support), which had previously exercised extensive de facto authority without an explicit legal basis. Under the new law, the Administration is granted significant authority over other nominally independent branches of government and made legally subordinate only to the President. This includes formal oversight and control over regional governors, anti-corruption bodies, and the judicial system. Officials in the Administration are also granted significant immunity from criminal prosecution, even after leaving office. The changes provide a legal basis for how Saida Mirziyoyoeva, the head of the Presidential Administration and daughter of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has in practice exercised power largely unchecked since being appointed to the office in June 2025, and are likely intended to ensure she eventually succeeds him as president. The law quickly moved through both chambers of parliament in August without debate or public notice. 

Sources: Lex.uz, The Diplomat