File photo of the late Uzbek president Islam Karimov.
Tashkent: Uzbekistan is voting to elect a new president following the death of Islam Karimov, the only leader the country has known since the fall of the Soviet Union.
According to the Central Electoral Commission some 33.73% of the 20 million plus electorate cast votes in the first five hours of the vote exceeding the minimum turnout of a third of voters required to make the polls valid.
The candidates are Uzbekistan's Acting President and Prime Minister, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, nominated by the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businesspeople - the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan.
His rivals are the leaders of three other officially registered political associations of the country. The People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan has nominated Khotamjon Ketmonov, Uzbekistan's Nationial RevivalDemocratic Party - Sarvar Otamuratov and the Justice Social Democratic Party - Narimon Umarov.
