Who runs local government in Uzbekistan?
Uzbekistan pairs appointed governors (hokims) with elected councils of people's deputies at regional, district and city level. Under the 2023 Constitution, councils now elect their own chair instead of being chaired by the hokim, and must approve the appointment of hokims. Below this, about 9,000 mahallas, neighbourhood self-government bodies with elected chairs, are a powerful link between households and the state.
Republic of Uzbekistan · Unitary presidential republic (with the autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan) · Central Asia
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Regions (viloyat, 12), the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and Tashkent city | Regional and Tashkent hokims appointed and dismissed by the President; councils of people's deputies directly elected for five years; Karakalpakstan has its own parliament and constitution | Regional budgets and development; hokim has 'sole authority' and personal responsibility. |
| Districts (tuman, about 175) and cities | Hokim appointed by the regional hokim and approved by the local council; council directly elected | Local budgets, utilities, schools, land. |
| Mahallas and village/settlement citizens' assemblies (about 9,000) | Chair (rais, often called aksakal) elected by a citizens' assembly or meeting of representatives | Not part of state power by law, but handle social support, local disputes, community events and information for residents. |
Three questions about local power in Uzbekistan
Are local leaders elected?
Councils of people's deputies and mahalla chairs are elected. Hokims at all levels are appointed (district and city hokims need council approval).
Which laws set up local government?
Hokims, councils and citizens' self-government bodies are all in the 2023 Constitution (Articles 120–127) and laws. Mahallas are formal bodies, though based on custom; elders' influence is informal.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
The President appoints and dismisses regional hokims and can dismiss district hokims who break the law; councils approve hokims and hear their reports; mahalla chairs face re-election by residents but work closely with the hokimiyat.
Traditional and customary authority
The mahalla is a traditional institution, a community of neighbouring households that historically handled weddings, funerals and mutual aid, which the state has turned into a formal, funded body. Respected elders (aksakals) and family networks remain influential. Religious life is supervised by the state-backed Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, which appoints imams.
Community and neighbourhood power
Mahalla committees are the main community institution: they identify families needing help, organise community work days (hashar) and mediate family disputes. Since 2024 each mahalla has a small team of officials (often called the 'mahalla seven'), such as the chair, a hokim's assistant, a youth leader, a women's activist and a neighbourhood police inspector, which links it closely to the state.
Points to know
- The 2023 Constitution limits hokims and council chairs to two consecutive terms in the same place.
- Karakalpakstan kept its constitutional right to secede by referendum (Article 89) after 2022 protests against a proposed change.
- A 2024 draft law proposed secret-ballot elections for mahalla chairs with nomination by at least 10% of residents.
Local terms
- Hokim (khokim)
- An appointed governor or mayor heading the local executive.
- Mahalla
- A neighbourhood community and its self-governing assembly and committee.
- Aksakal
- Respected elder; also used for the elected mahalla chair.
Sources
- Uzbekistan's Constitution of 2023, Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Uzbekistan: country profile, OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI), checked 14 October 2026
- Uzbekistan: local government profile, UN Women (Women in Local Government country profiles), checked 14 October 2026
- National Database of Legislation (Lex.uz), Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Uzbekistan's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.