Unsurprisingly, there was little left to chance in Uzbekistan’s most recent presidential election, held earlier this week. Following the September death of President Islam Karimov, elites quickly coalesced around then-Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev, smoothing the transition process for Mirziyoyev to emerge as Karimov’s successor. On Sunday, Mirziyoyev’s position as the second president of Uzbek