TASHKENT, Uzbekistan

Shavkat Mirziyoyev, 59, has taken the presidential oath of office to become Uzbekistan's second president, local media reported.

Then-Prime Minister Mirziyoyev was elected president after his long-serving predecessor, Islam Karimov, died in September after 27 years in office. Mirziyoyev’s Liberal Democratic Party leader secured 88.61 percent of the vote on Dec. 5.

He took the oath at a joint meeting of both chambers of parliament. Putting his hand on the Constitution and the Quran, he pledged to "strictly follow the Constitution and laws of the republic, guarantee the rights and freedoms of its citizens, and conscientiously fulfill the duties of the president of the Republic of Uzbekistan."

In an address to parliament, Mirziyoyev said he will do his best to ensure peace and tranquility in Uzbekistan and boost its welfare.

Reporting by Bahtiyar Abdukerimov; Writing by Diyar Güldoğan;