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Uzbekistan
Independence
The attempted coup against the Gorbachev government by disaffected
hard-liners in Moscow, which occurred in August 1991, was a catalyst
for independence movements throughout the Soviet Union. Despite
Uzbekistan's initial hesitancy to oppose the coup, the Supreme
Soviet of Uzbekistan declared the republic independent on August
31, 1991. In December 1991, an independence referendum was passed
with 98.2 percent of the popular vote. The same month, a parliament
was elected and Karimov was chosen the new nation's first president.
Although Uzbekistan had not sought independence, when events
brought them to that point, Karimov and his government moved quickly
to adapt themselves to the new realities. They realized that under
the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS--see Glossary), the
loose federation proposed to replace the Soviet Union, no central
government would provide the subsidies to which Uzbek governments
had become accustomed for the previous seventy years. Old economic
ties would have to be reexamined and new markets and economic
mechanisms established. Although Uzbekistan as defined by the
Soviets had never had independent foreign relations, diplomatic
relations would have to be established with foreign countries
quickly. Investment and foreign credits would have to be attracted,
a formidable challenge in light of Western restrictions on financial
aid to nations restricting expression of political dissent. For
example, the suppression of internal dissent in 1992 and 1993
had an unexpectedly chilling effect on foreign investment. Uzbekistan's
image in the West alternated in the ensuing years between an attractive,
stable experimental zone for investment and a post-Soviet dictatorship
whose human rights record made financial aid inadvisable. Such
alternation exerted strong influence on the political and economic
fortunes of the new republic in its first five years (see International
Financial Relations, this ch.).
Data as of March 1996
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