Karimov, Islam (1938– )

Uzbek politician, president from 1990. A member of the Soviet Communist Party (CPSU) from 1964, he became Uzbekistan's communist party leader in 1989. Faced with rising nationalist sentiment, he declared the republic's sovereignty in June 1990 and independence in August 1991. Directly elected president in December 1991, his mandate was extended until 2000 by a March 1995 plebiscite. His authoritarian administration promoted gradual, market-centred economic reform, but harassed and banned opposition groups, particularly Islamic militants.

Born in Samarkand, he worked initially in an aviation construction factory and then as a technocrat economic planner and minister. In August 1991, when there was an attempted coup in Moscow against Mikhail Gorbachev by conservative communists, Karimov initially failed to condemn it. After independence, he promoted closer links with Turkey, but ties with Russia remained strong, and an economic, military and social union was formed with neighbouring Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.