Incumbent Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is winning the presidential polls with 97.14% of the vote, the Turkmen CEC said, RIA Novosti reports.
There were a total of 8 people running for president. The winner needs over half of the votes cast.
Sergey Mikheyev, Director General of the Center for Political Conjuncture, told Vestnik Kavkaza that the winner was obvious before the polls.
Tevgeny Minchenko, Director of the International Institute for Political Expertise, noted problems with finances and the economy, high unemployment and foreign pressure as primary factors of the outcome. Berdimuhamedov is no longer charmed by foreign investors, the expert says. Scandals with investors and MTS’ leaving the state had a negative effect on Turkmenistan's image.
Leonid Gusev, a scientist of the Institute for International Studies of MGIMO, said that the long list of candidates was intended to demonstrate democracy and freedom of elections in Turkmenistan. But the incumbent president would not give power away, so no surprises should be expected, he says. No protests inspired by the Arab Spring are likely to start either. The country has been sustainable in the last few years. The society is more consolidated than others in Central Asia, there is no antagonism between clans.. High prices for energy carriers contribute to stability.
