Turkmenistan vote set to establish political dynasty

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — Turkmenistan citizens have voted in an election that could establish a political dynasty for the gas-rich Central Asian nation’s leader. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, 64, announced the snap presidential election last month, setting the stage for his 40-year old son Serdar to take over. Serdar Berdymukhamedov has risen through a series of increasingly prominent government posts and most recently has served as the country’s deputy prime minister, answering directly to his father. He is facing what appears to be token competition from eight other contenders in Saturday’s vote. No election in ex-Soviet Turkmenistan has been considered genuinely competitive. In the last election in 2017 Berdymukhamedov garnered more than 97% of votes.