ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan -- Turkmenistan citizens voted Saturday in an election that's seen as likely the beginning of a political dynasty for the gas-rich Central Asian nation's sitting president.
President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, 64, announced the vote last month, setting the stage for his 40-year-old son Serdar to take over. Preliminary results are expected today, but few doubt that the president's son will win by a large margin.
Serdar Berdymukhamedov has risen through a series of increasingly prominent government posts and most recently was the country's deputy prime minister, answering directly to his father.
He faced competition from eight other nominal contenders in Saturday's vote, including a deputy regional governor and a lawmaker.
"My main goal is to continue on the glorious path of development built during 30 years of independence and to successfully implement programs aimed to ensure a high level of social conditions for the people," Serdar Berdymukhamedov said.
He has vowed to continue the country's neutral foreign policy if elected.
While eight candidates ran against Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov in the last election in 2017, all expressed support for his government, and Berdymukhamedov garnered more than 97% of the vote.
Berdymukhamedov rose to power in 2006 after the death of Saparmurat Niyazov. Under his rule, Turkmenistan has not reported any cases of infection in the coronavirus pandemic.
It also has struggled to diversify its economy, which is dependent on its vast natural gas reserves. China has replaced Russia as the top export destination for Turkmen gas, while Russian demand is expected to shrink further amid tensions with the West over Russia's war in Ukraine.
Berdymukhamedov has cultivated an image of robust health with media stunts that included firing a pistol at a man-sized target while riding a bicycle and hoisting a gold weightlifting bar, to the applause of his Cabinet.
When Berdymukhamedov announced the vote last month, he said that the country should be run by younger people. His son recently turned 40, the minimum age for president under Turkmen law.
During the campaign, all candidates praised Berdymukhamedov, who said he will retain the post of the head of the upper house of parliament.
Turnout included over 90% of voters casting their ballots hours before polls closed.
Folk dancers and singers performed as loud music blared from loudspeakers at polling stations. Engulfing the stations were fumes from burning harmala, a plant widely used in Turkmenistan to fumigate homes and public spaces to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
FILE - Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, left, speaks to journalists after casting his ballot as his son Serdar Berdymukhamedov, second right, with other family members look on at a polling station in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 12, 2017. People of Turkmenistan cast ballots Saturday March 12, 2022 in a vote intended to lay the foundation for a political dynasty in the gas-rich Central Asian nation. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, 64, announced the vote last month, setting stage for his 40-year old son Serdar to take over. (AP Photo/Alexander Vershinin, File)