Tashkent, Oct 23 (IANS): Uzbekistan is to hold the next presidential election on Sunday, with incumbent President Shavkat Mirziyoyev running for a second term in office, the Uzbek Central Election Commission (CEC) said Saturday.

Over 19 million voters have registered for the election, and about 970 international observers and over 1,000 media representatives will observe the voting, said Uzbek CEC Chairman Zayniddin Nizamkhodjaev, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mirziyoyev was nominated by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Other candidates include Alisher Kadirov from the National Revival Democratic Party, Maksuda Varisova from the People's Democratic Party, Bahrom Abduhalimov from the Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party, and Narzullo Oblomurodov from the Ecological Party.

During the pre-election campaign, Mirziyoyev promised to continue reforms to launch more industrial projects, provide jobs and raise living standards of the populous Central Asian nation.