The government and citizens of Uzbekistan should carefully consider the risks and benefits due to changing the current terms of office of the President, planned in the proposed amendments to the Constitution, the U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Daniel Rosenblum told the Alter Ego project.

Daniel Rosenblum stressed that the United States did not intend to suggest another country what should or should not be in their Constitution.

“Therefore, I will not comment on the amendments themselves. But as far as the process is concerned, I think it's very important to get public comments. I know that gathering the opinions of the public has been made a priority. I also think that it is important to get the reaction of international experts, and it seems that some efforts have been made in this direction. But you can always do more,” he said.

According to him, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has experts “with outstanding skills in constitutional analysis who study best practices at the international level.”

“So I think that's important too. I would say that any changes that strengthen the system of checks and balances that better guarantee the rights and freedoms of citizens is good. So, I think if things are moving in that direction, it's good," he said.

Daniel Rosenblum noted that no matter what amendments are proposed and get to a referendum, all attention will be on the one regarding presidential terms.

“This is the main focus both now and later. Whatever the intention, the international perception will be that. And I know there is a debate on this issue. Some of them I have read and seen. And it's good that there are disputes about how to approach this correctly. Let me just say that I hope that the government and citizens of Uzbekistan will carefully consider the risks and benefits associated with changing the current terms of office,” the ambassador said.

He referred to world experience and noted a recurring scenario related to the lifting of restrictions and the extension of presidential terms.

“When term limits are removed or terms are extended for very long periods, you end up with a government that is less and less accountable to the people. It's just how it happens in real life. So, I think that Uzbekistan, its people, its government should approach this issue very carefully,” he warned.

Daniel Rosenblum also spoke about the lack of time to complete the reforms initiated by Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which supporters of the extension of the presidency cite. The first deputy chairman of the Senate, Sadyk Safayev, for example, noted that the president, "who has begun these reforms, should have the opportunity to complete them."

The ambassador agreed that "this was a real dilemma" that the countries are facing. He noted that reforms in Uzbekistan would take a long time and they would not be easy.

“And so I understand why people say this: since it takes a lot of time, since we trust the leadership of the current president, he needs to be there to see it through. This is understandable and there is logic here. But at the same time, I think that every country, including the US, should balance these and other risks. There is a risk of not completing the reform program and the risk of believing that only one leader can bring it to the end,” he said.

At the same time, the diplomat noted the risk of creating "a system that lacks checks and balances, where there is not enough accountability and where, as a result, things do not go well for the people." He cited the example of American President Franklin Roosevelt, who died at the beginning of his fourth term and led the country for 12 years.

According to him, this was the first case in American history. “Perhaps he was a great leader who got us through a very difficult period in history, helped us through the Great Depression and World War II. But what was the reaction in the US? Just a few years after Roosevelt's death, we passed an amendment to the Constitution, according to which the president can only be elected for two terms and no more. And since then this rule has been observed. And there is no debate in America about changing it,” the diplomat said.

Daniel Rosenblum stressed that, for this reason, each country must make its own choices about how to balance these risks.

“I just hope, as I already said, that Uzbekistan will carefully consider this step that it is taking and understand that there may be risks, and perhaps take some measures to avoid these risks. I don’t know which ones, I’m just saying that you need to take this into account,” he said.

Amendments to the Constitution propose to extend the term of office of the President of Uzbekistan from 5 to 7 years. Sadyk Safayev stated that the adoption of the "new Constitution" would enable all citizens, including the incumbent president, to participate in the presidential elections.