Turkmenistan, a nation in Central Asia with abundant gas reserves, held its parliamentary elections on Sunday, March 26th. According to the Central Elections and Referendums Board, an estimated 91.12% of the 3.5 million eligible voters participated in the election, and the polling stations closed at 7:00 pm local time.
The Mejlis, the unicameral parliament, has 125 lawmakers, and in addition to them, the people also elected members of the Assembly of Turkmenistan and other local government bodies, who will remain in office for five years.
There were 258 candidates contesting for the 125 seats in the assembly, and over 2,644 ballot boxes were set up throughout the country. However, the candidates’ policies were difficult to obtain, and they represent three parties and various groups of citizens, according to a report by AFP.
Turkmenistan is reportedly one of the world’s most secretive and repressive states, and little is known about the former Soviet republic. However, both Berdymukhamedov and his father had previously stated that the elections would adhere to democratic principles.
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, a former dentist and health minister, came to power in 2006 after succeeding the nation’s founding president, Saparmurat Niyazov, following his death. Last year, the 65-year-old Gurbanguly handed over the country to his son Serdar following a token snap election while retaining his position as the chair of the upper house of parliament.
After Serdar took over, entrepreneur Maksat Redjenov from Turkmenistan stated that many people were expecting major reforms from the new president, such as new factories being built, the country opening up, tourists arriving, and state control easing. However, Turkmenistan continues to be one of the world’s most closed-off countries.
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