Power passing from hand to hand: Uzbekistan’s Presidential Administration changes four times in four years

The Presidential Administration is the most powerful structure in New Uzbekistan—an institution with immense influence and resources that frequently remains in the public spotlight. Though the current form of the administration was formally established in 2018, its roots trace back to 1991. Over the years, it has gone by different names in everyday use—often referred to simply as the Presidential Apparatus or Presidential Office. In its earlier phases, public attention was mainly limited to just a few figures, notably Zelimkhon Haydarov and Khayriddin Sultanov. At the time, Sultanov served as an advisor, while Haydarov was the manager of administrative affairs.

The structure, as formalized by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Decree “On the Organization of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan” on August 26, 2018, has undergone five significant leadership changes between 2020 and 2025. It has been headed by Zaynilobiddin Nizomiddinov, Sardor Umurzakov, and Aziz Magrupov. The next figure in line is the President’s eldest daughter, Saida Mirziyoyeva. Today, we examine the transitions and their implications.

When the administration was restructured in 2018, Khayriddin Sultanov remained in his role as advisor and speechwriter. Zelimkhon Haydarov was appointed head of the Finance and Economic Department. Rustam Inoyatov, who had chaired the National Security Service for 24 years, was named Presidential Advisor on Legal Support for Reforms and Coordination of Law Enforcement Bodies. At the same time, Zaynilobiddin Nizomiddinov, Aziz Mag'rupov, Alisher Paygamov, and Komil Allamjonov took on leadership roles within the administration, with Allamjonov serving as Deputy Head.

Only a month later, on October 3, 2018, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration and Press Secretary Komil Allamjonov was dismissed. Two months after that, on November 28, he was appointed Director of the Uzbekistan Press and Information Agency. Then, on February 2, 2019, a presidential decree restructured this agency under the Presidential Administration, renaming it the Agency for Information and Mass Communications (IMCA).

On April 12, 2019, a meeting at the agency, chaired by Head of the Administration Zaynilobiddin Nizomiddinov, resulted in the appointment of Saida Mirziyoyeva as Deputy Director. This marked the beginning of the Allamjonov–Mirziyoyeva tandem, whose leadership at IMCA soon gained attention. During their tenure, they championed press freedom, defended the rights of journalists and bloggers, and fostered open dialogue between the media and state institutions. They helped institutionalize press secretary positions across government bodies, improved their status, and significantly reduced incidents of harassment, threats, and pressure against journalists. Under their leadership, Uzbekistan improved its rankings in global press freedom indices, and the volume of critical media coverage increased.

However, their time at IMCA was short-lived. On January 29, 2020—just 10 months after their appointments—another meeting chaired by Nizomiddinov announced their resignations, reportedly made at their request.

Two days later, on January 31, Allamjonov and Mirziyoyeva assumed new roles as Chairman and Deputy Chairwoman of the newly established Public Fund for the Support and Development of National Mass Media.

The wave of major changes in the Presidential Administration continued into 2021. On March 24 of that year, the position of the President’s Press Secretary, which had been vacant since Allamjonov’s departure and temporarily overseen by Dilnoza Ziyomuhamedova, Head of the Department for the Development of Mass Media, Television, and the Press, was filled again. On the same day, Sherzod Asadov—then Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs—was appointed Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration and Press Secretary to the President. At the time, Allamjonov praised the appointment, saying it would benefit the nation. He described Asadov as “an experienced and mature cadre who understands the expectations of international organizations.”

In 2022, Uzbekistan scheduled a referendum on constitutional amendments and additions. As part of the process, the revised Constitution was made available for public discussion. On July 1–2, mass protests erupted in Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan, in response to proposed amendments to Articles 70, 71, 72, 74, and 75, particularly the removal of Karakalpakstan’s status as an autonomous republic. The protests led to the arrest of 516 people, left 243 injured, and resulted in 18 deaths.

In response to the unrest, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Nukus, listened to the concerns raised by the population, and ultimately announced that Articles 70, 71, 72, 74, and 75 would remain unchanged. Meanwhile, the Prosecutor General’s Office launched a criminal case under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code—"Conspiracy to seize power or overthrow the constitutional system of the Republic of Uzbekistan"—due to subversive actions committed during the unrest.

Just five days later, on July 8, Zaynilobiddin Nizomiddinov was dismissed from his role as Head of the Presidential Administration. While no official explanation linked his dismissal to the Nukus events, many in the media and public saw a direct connection. However, Presidential Press Secretary Sherzod Asadov attributed the resignation to health issues. Strikingly, Nizomiddinov’s health—cited as the reason for his departure—did not prevent him from being appointed Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions the same day.

The vacant post did not remain unfilled for long. On July 16, Sardor Umurzakov—then serving as Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Foreign Economic Affairs and Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade—was appointed Head of the Presidential Administration.

After assuming office, Umurzakov began reshaping the administration’s structure. On June 23, Sunnatilla Bekenov was appointed Assistant to the Head of the Administration. Then, on August 24, Saidlaziz Saidkarimov, former Deputy Chairman of the Accounts Chamber, was appointed Head of the Supervisory Inspection Department of the Administration. On November 2, Ulugbek Kurbanov was named Deputy Head of the Administration and Head of the Presidential Protocol.

Just ten days after Umurzakov’s appointment, on July 26, Komil Allamjonov returned to the Presidential Administration and took up a position as Deputy Head of Department.

Meanwhile, Saida Mirziyoyeva continued her role at the Public Fund for the Support and Development of Mass Media. Nearly four months later, on November 14, 2022, she also joined the Presidential Administration as Head of the Department for Communications and Information Policy within the Executive Office. Her portfolio extended across various sectors: shaping Uzbekistan’s international image, building ties with global organizations, supporting culture, education, and women's rights, and fostering media freedom.

In March 2023, Mirziyoyeva visited the United States, where she gave a speech at the United Nations and held meetings with members of the Biden administration, including a stop at the U.S. State Department. She was also welcomed at the White House. Although the Uzbek Presidential Administration did not officially confirm her meeting with U.S. President Joseph Biden, the visit was publicly acknowledged in August 2023 when Biden sent a letter to President Mirziyoyev, expressing his pleasure at welcoming Mirziyoyeva and commending her work on women's rights and gender equality.

For nearly eight months following these developments, the Presidential Administration remained quiet. Then, in June 2023, new changes began to emerge. By presidential decree, Mansurbek Polvonzoda Olloyorov was appointed Advisor to the President on Social Protection Issues and Director of the newly created National Agency for Social Protection under the President. On August 17, Sunnatilla Bekenov was dismissed from his role as Assistant to the Head of the Administration. That same day, Sardor Umurzakov was also relieved of his position as Head of the Presidential Administration. The official explanation cited the abolition of the position. However, he was promptly appointed Advisor to the President on Special Assignments.

One week after Sardor Umurzakov's resignation, on August 25, 2023, a new composition of the Presidential Administration was approved. Under the updated structure, Aziz Magrupov and Saida Mirziyoyeva were appointed Assistants to the President. Komil Allamjonov also returned to the Administration as Head of the Information Policy Department. Sherzod Asadov retained his position as Press Secretary.

Several new advisor appointments were made in this reshuffle:

•  Ravshan Gulyamov – Advisor on Economic Development
• Alisher Sultanov – Advisor on Energy Security
•  Shukhrat Ganiev – Advisor on Agrarian Development
•  Muzaffar Kamilov – Advisor on Religious and Interethnic Relations
•  Gafurjon Mirzayev – Advisor on Personnel Policy
•  Doniyor Kadyrov – Advisor on Coordination of Law Enforcement and Regulatory Bodies

As for the departments:

•  Odil Abdurakhmonov was appointed to the Department of Social Development
•  Kahramon Kuronbayev – Youth Policy
•  Alisherbek Paygamov – Foreign Relations
•  Nodirjon Abdurahimov – Planning and Information Support
•  Otkirjon Kadirov – Cooperation with Regions and Analytical Materials
•  Ulugbek Kurbanov – Head of the Presidential Protocol
•  Saidlaziz Saidkarimov – Head of the Supervisory Inspection

In addition, Dilnoza Ziyomuhamedova, who previously headed the Presidential Press Service, was appointed Head of the Presidential Assistant Secretariat.

For nearly a year after these appointments, stability seemed to settle over the Presidential Administration—no major reshuffles or resignations took place. That calm ended on October 2, 2024, when Komil Allamjonov resigned from his post, announcing he would return to the private sector. His departure marked an unprecedented moment: he was personally seen off by Presidential Assistant Saida Mirziyoyeva, and a video of their farewell conversation was shared on their social media pages.

Just a month later, an assassination attempt was made on Allamjonov. While the details of the incident are well known to the public and need no retelling here, the aftermath was just as noteworthy. Once the perpetrators—those who carried out, ordered, and attempted to conceal the attack—were brought to justice, Allamjonov was once again seen within the corridors of the Presidential Administration.

He appeared in two official video series produced by the Administration, highlighting the activities of Saida Mirziyoyeva. It soon became clear why.

On June 23, 2025, a Presidential Decree brought new changes to the structure of the Administration. A new position—Head of the Presidential Administration—was introduced, and Saida Mirziyoyeva was appointed to it. Shortly afterward, Komil Allamjonov rejoined the Administration for the third time, this time as an independent advisor to Mirziyoyeva on a public (non-salaried) basis.

Additional personnel changes followed:

•  Aziz Mag’rupov, formerly an Assistant to the President, was appointed Advisor on Foreign Investments.
•  Bekzod Mavlonov, who had previously served as Advisor on Legal Expertise and Comprehensive Analysis, replaced Mag’rupov as Assistant to the President.

While the series of reshuffles and reappointments may seem complex, the overall trend is clear: since 2022, the leadership and operational structure of Uzbekistan’s Presidential Administration has undergone near-annual transformations. What future changes lie ahead remain to be seen?