Direct presidential elections were held for the first time in Uzbekistan on 29 December 1991. Their result was a victory for Islam Karimov of the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, who won with 87% of the vote. Voter turnout was reported to be 94%. The elections were held alongside an independence referendum.

Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov was an Uzbek politician who led Uzbekistan and its predecessor state, the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, from 1989 until his death in 2016. He was the last First Secretary of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan from 1989 to 1991, when the party was reconstituted as the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O‘zXDP); he led the O‘zXDP until 1996. He was the President of the Uzbek SSR from 24 March 1990 until he declared the independence of Uzbekistan on 1 September 1991.