Turkmenistan announces an early presidential election next March

Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov arrives for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, February 4, 2022, in Beijing.

AP - Carl Court

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

In Turkmenistan, the head of the Electoral Commission announces that an early presidential election will be organized on 12th March next.

A surprise in this dictatorship of the former Soviet space, which is one of the most closed in the world. 

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With our regional correspondent,  

After 15 years at the head of Turkmenistan, Gurbangouly Berdymoukhamedov, 64, could well leave the presidential chair.

Admittedly, he did not say that exactly, but on Friday, before the Khalk Maslakhaty, the upper house of parliament, he said that the reins of the country must be entrusted to young leaders to lead it to a new stage of its development. .

But when he speaks of young leaders, everyone understands that he is thinking of his son Serdar.

He turned 40 last September, which now legally allows him to run for the highest office.

Gurbangouly Berdymoukhamedov, who suffers from diabetes, has been preparing his son for several years for a possible succession at the head of a country he leads through a 

that sometimes borders on delirium.

From 2018, 

rose through the ranks to become, a year ago, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the hydrocarbons sector in particular, in this country which has the fourth largest gas reserves in the world.

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• Turkmenistan

• Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov