Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party

The Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party (UzLiDeP; Oʻzbekiston Liberal Demokratik Partiyasi, OʻzLiDeP), officially the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen – Liberal-Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (Tadbirkorlar va Ishbilarmonlar Harakati – O'zbekiston Liberal-Demokratik Partiyasi), is a political party in Uzbekistan and the country's ruling party. The four other parties in the Oliy Majlis, Uzbekistan's parliament, are pro-government.

History
The party was founded in 2003 by Islam Karimov as a split from People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, which was led by Karimov from 1991 to until 1996, at which point Karimov stepped down and resigned his membership.

Despite self-identifying with different ideologies, the parties are seen as no different from each other, with the Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party being created to give an illusion of a competitive multi-party system; this is supported by the fact that the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan remained supportive of Karimov's policies and retained his favor.

Ideology
As a self-described centre-right party of the middle class and private property owners, as well as businesspeople, farmers, and the service sector, it seeks to promote economic liberalism and economic liberalization, having liberalized the foreign currency market. The party is nominally liberal and supportive of liberal democratic values; however, its liberal practice on economic issues has not been reflected in practice at the political level, as it has ruled an authoritarian state, despite reforms following the death of long-time leader Islam Karimov in 2016.

Electoral history
During the 2004–05 Uzbek parliamentary election, the party won 41 out of 120 seats. In the 2009–10 Uzbek parliamentary election, it won 55 out of 150. It has allied with the Uzbekistan National Revival Democratic Party, a conservative and right-wing party.

In October, the party said that it intended to nominate President Islam Karimov as its candidate in the 2007 Uzbek presidential election, although many considered Karimov to be legally ineligible to run for another term. On 6 November, Karimov was unanimously chosen as the party's presidential candidate at a party convention in Tashkent, and Karimov accepted the nomination. Karimov remained the president until his death in 2016. After the death of Karimov, long-time prime minister and party member Shavkat Mirziyoyev won the 2016 Uzbek presidential election to finish out Karimov's term. Mirziyoyev was re-elected in the 2021 Uzbek presidential election.