2017 Turkmenistan presidential election
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Presidential elections were held in Turkmenistan on 12 February 2017.[1] This was Turkmenistan's fifth presidential election and decided who would be the country's president for the next seven years. Incumbent President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow won with more than 97% of the vote,[2] similar to the results of the 2012 elections.
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12 February 2017
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| Registered | 3,252,243 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 97.28% | ||||||||||||||||
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.svg) Results by region | |||||||||||||||||
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The result was widely expected; although the election was nominally contested by nine candidates, all opposition candidates were appointed by the government and the elections were regarded by foreign organisations as not being a free and fair contest.[2][3]
Background
In September 2016, the constitution was changed to remove term limits and the 70 year-old age limit for presidential candidates, as well as extending the presidential term from five to seven years.[2][4]
Electoral system
The President of Turkmenistan is elected using the two-round system.[5]
Candidates
The Democratic Party nominated the incumbent President, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who won 97.14% of the vote in the previous elections. A total of 9 candidates were approved by the Central Election Committee.[6][7] The opposition candidates' manifestos were published in the state-controlled mass media.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]
| Name[18] | Party | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Maksat Annanepesow | Independent | Chairman of the State Food Industry Association |
| Jumanazar Annaýew | Independent | Deputy Head of Mary Region |
| Bekmyrat Atalyýew | Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs | Member of Parliament |
| Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow (Incumbent) | Democratic Party of Turkmenistan/Independent | President of Turkmenistan |
| Ramazan Durdyýew | Independent | Member of Parliament |
| Meretdurdy Gurbanow | Independent | Deputy Head of Daşoguz Region |
| Serdar Jelilow | Independent | Head of the Department of Economic Development, Akhal Region |
| Süleýmannepes Nurnepesow | Independent | Chief Executive of Garabogazsulfat |
| Durdygylyç Orazow | Agrarian Party | Head of Mary Region |
Results
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow | Democratic Party/Independent | 3,090,610 | 97.69 | |
| Maksat Annanepesow | Independent | 32,269 | 1.02 | |
| Bekmyrat Atalyýew | Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs | 11,389 | 0.36 | |
| Serdar Jelilow | Independent | 7,909 | 0.25 | |
| Jumanazar Annaýew | Independent | 6,643 | 0.21 | |
| Meretdurdy Gurbanow | Independent | 5,378 | 0.17 | |
| Ramazan Durdyýew | Independent | 4,745 | 0.15 | |
| Süleýmannepes Nurnepesow | Independent | 2,847 | 0.09 | |
| Durdygylyç Orazow | Agrarian Party | 1,898 | 0.06 | |
| Total | 3,163,688 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 3,252,243 | – | ||
| Source: TRT, Government of Turkmenistan | ||||