Turkmenistan Leader’s Son Wins Presidential Race

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan — Turkmenistan established a political dynasty Tuesday, because the authorities mentioned the son of the Central Asian nation’s chief received its presidential election after an uncommon vote-counting delay.

Serdar Berdymukhammedov, 40, was the overwhelming favourite within the election on Saturday to steer Turkmenistan, an remoted, gas-rich nation, and succeed his father, Gurbanguly.

The nation has lengthy been tough for outsiders to enter — it has not reported a single case of an infection within the coronavirus pandemic — and no election in Turkmenistan, which turned unbiased after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, has been thought-about genuinely aggressive.

The central election fee mentioned Serdar Berdymukhammedov received 72.97 % of the votes. His nearest rival in a discipline of 9 candidates was a college official, Khyrdyr Nunnayev, who received 11 %.

There was an sudden look forward to the consequence, after the authorities mentioned Sunday they wanted extra time to rely the votes. The election fee chairman, Gulmyrat Myradov, advised reporters that votes had been nonetheless being counted, together with these from individuals residing overseas, and that preliminary outcomes would seemingly be reported Monday.

Turkmenistan sometimes pronounces preliminary outcomes on the day after an election, comparable to when the elder Berdymukhammedov received re-election with greater than 97 % of the vote in 2017.

Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, 64, introduced the vote final month, saying the nation ought to be run by youthful individuals. He had been the nation’s chief since he was first appointed performing president after Saparmurat Niyazov died in December 2006.

The elder Berdymukhammedov established a cult of persona with the title Arkadag, or protector, and was keen to indicate his bodily health with stunts together with driving sports activities vehicles, goal taking pictures and hoisting a gold weight-lifting bar to applause from his cupboard. Beneath his rule, China changed Russia as the primary purchaser for Turkmenistan’s huge fuel reserves.

Serdar Berdymukhammedov has risen by a collection of more and more outstanding authorities posts and most lately served because the nation’s deputy prime minister, answering on to his father. He lately turned 40, the minimal age for president in Turkmenistan.

“My essential aim is to proceed on the wonderful path of improvement constructed throughout 30 years of independence and to efficiently implement packages geared toward making certain a excessive degree of social situations for the individuals,” Serdar Berdymukhammedov mentioned whereas presenting his platform in a televised speech.

The nation has been struggling to diversify its financial system, which is overwhelmingly depending on its pure fuel reserves.

Chatting with reporters after casting his poll, Mr. Berdymukhammedov vowed to proceed the nation’s impartial international coverage if elected.

In the course of the marketing campaign, the entire candidates praised Mr. Berdymukhammedov’s father, who mentioned he would retain the publish of the top of the nation’s higher home of parliament.

On voting day, folks dancers and singers carried out as loud music blared from loudspeakers at polling stations. Engulfing the stations had been fumes from burning harmala, a plant extensively utilized in Turkmenistan to fumigate houses and public areas to assist forestall the unfold of infectious illnesses.