The political council of Uzbekistan’s ruling party has nominated a former deputy prime minister to become the new prime minister, a position soon to be vacated by President-elect Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party, or UzLiDeP, has nominated Abdulla Aripov to be prime minister.

The Liberal Democratic Party, which backed Mirziyoyev in Uzbekistan’s December 4 presidential election, said in a statement on its website that Aripov was “capable of taking responsibility for reforms.”

The party said in a statement that the council considered Aripov a patriot able to “fully take on the responsibility of successfully implementing reforms.”

The UzLiDeP’s political council gathered to consider the nomination on December 12.  Under Uzbek law, the largest party in parliament, UzLiDeP, is authorized to put forward its proposal for the prime minister.  

The 55-year-old Aripov had served as deputy prime minister for more than 10 years, from May 2002 to August 2012.  His main responsibility lay in the running of the telecommunications sector.  From 2005 to 2009 he also ran the Uzbek communications agency.

Islam Karimov removed Aripov from the cabinet in August 2012 amid a corruption scandal involving allegations that licenses were illegally granted to mobile operator Uzdunrobita, an Uzbek subsidiary of Russian telecom giant Mobile TeleSystems (MTS).

Aripov was returned to the fold following the announcement of the death in September of President Islam Karimov, who was quickly replaced by Shavkat Mirziyoyev.  Returning to his old position as deputy prime minister, Aripov was charged with a portfolio including youth, culture, information technologies and telecommunications.