Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov, one of the most repressive leaders of former Soviet Union countries, won a new term in office Dec. 23, after voters went to the polls and state television broadcasts extolled his rule.

Karimov, a former Communist Party boss who has led Uzbekistan since the 1991 Soviet collapse, faced three other candidates — but they all publicly supported his policies and were seen by critics as token opponents whose candidacies were aimed at providing a superficial veneer of competition.

"I believe people know by themselves what to vote for," Karimov said after voting. "That is for the future, peace in our country, its development and prosperity."