Uzbekistan

Even so, the cynicism among the voters found expression in ways that, in themselves, suggested just how much has changed in Uzbekistan. For decades, the Uzbek media have been tightly controlled and a reliable mouthpiece of the state. But private journalists and bloggers found their voices in this

“The contested parties presented their political platforms and the media hosted debates and for the first time many of them were held live. However, the debate rules are still quite restrictive and the range of political options remains limited,” Tsereteli said in Tashkent on December 23.

"The debates like we have now, discussions like those taking place, they didn't exist," Ali Kakhkhorov, editor of the Repost.uz news portal and one of the journalists at the debate, said, referring to the previous elections under Karimov.