Political life and party dominance

On 15 March 1959 Sharof Rashidov (1917–1983) was elected first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan and held the post until his death in October 1983. The textbook links his period with the growth of cotton farming, the opening of new lands, the rebuilding of Tashkent, with help from the whole country, after the earthquake of 26 April 1966 and the opening of the Tashkent metro (first stage, 9 stations, November 1977); in later years assessments of his work changed sharply. In other posts Yodgor Nasriddinova (chair of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of Uzbekistan 1959–1970 and of the Soviet of Nationalities of the USSR 1970–1974), Nazar Matchonov and Inomjon Usmonxo‘jayev served, and in government Rahmonqul Qurbonov and Normuhammadi Xudoyberdiyev. Article 6 of the USSR Constitution adopted on 7 October 1977 recorded the CPSU as the leading and guiding force of society. According to the textbook, Soviets could not decide even minor matters without party committees, economic managers bypassed executive committees and applied to the party, and under the nomenklatura system responsible posts were filled only by party members.