President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov is resigning from the isolated and authoritarian former Soviet Republic of Turkmenistan.
The 64-year-old president announced in the capital Ashgabat of the Central Asian country that after 15 years he wanted to place the office in younger hands, state media reported.
The electoral commission scheduled the early election for the highest state office on Saturday, March 12.
The president, known for his quirky personality cult, made his son Serdar Berdymukhammedov deputy prime minister a year ago.
He instructed him to take care of the modernization of the state system and better government work.
The 40-year-old son of the President is being traded as the successor to the post of head of state.
He is also responsible for the digitization of the oil and gas-rich country.
Head of state Berdymukhamedov has so far fulfilled a large number of functions, including that of head of government and chairman of the national security council.
As president, he has now made the "not easy decision" to hand over the country to a "young leader".
Berdymukhamedov did not say who he has his eyes on.
But he himself wants to continue using his political experience as chairman of the People's Council, i.e. in the upper house of the Turkmen parliament.
Amongst other things, Berdymukhamedow sees himself criticized by Turkmens in exile for the persecution of dissidents and a costly personality cult.
So he had a 21 meter high and gold-covered equestrian statue called "Arkadag" (English: protector) made of marble and bronze.
Elections in the country are not considered fair and free.
Berdymukhammedov was last confirmed in office in 2017 with 97.69 percent of the votes.
His seven-year term would normally end in 2027.
The country on the Caspian Sea has around six million inhabitants and is considered by human rights activists to be one of the worst dictatorships on earth.
Turkmenistan is similarly isolated to North Korea.