Turkmenistan votes for successor to late dictator (AFP)

[Up2Late]

(I was just wondering when we would here more from Turkmenistan)

Turkmenistan votes for successor to late dictator

11/02/2007 02h26

ASHGABAT (AFP) - Turkmenistan holds presidential elections on Sunday to elect a successor to late dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, with the gas-rich Central Asian republic's interim leader seen as guaranteed of victory.

This is to be Turkmenistan's first multi-candidate presidential poll, but analysts expect the result to be rigged in favour of acting president Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov. His five nominal rivals are little-known figures, while any real potential opponents live in foreign exile.

Polling stations were due to open across the ex-Soviet republic at 8:00 am (0300 GMT) and were to close at 6:00 pm (1300 GMT), with preliminary results expected by Monday and the official outcome Wednesday.

Many Turkmens express hopes that Berdymukhammedov, 49, will draw a line under the totalitarian Niyazov era and open up this desert nation of less than five million people to the outside world.

(more at link) <http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/070211022303.s7mppdbw.html>

[BayCityProgressive]

1. hm

you can bet the US will be salivating over this country. Their resources have yet to be privatized and they have oil.

[killbotfactory]

2. They were an ally in the "War on Terror"

http://nato.usmission.gov/Contributions/Turkmenistan.htm

despite this former dictators Bond-villain level lunacy.

[ohio2007]

3. So nobody is monitoring the election is what the article suggests

No suprise that a hand picked line will remain in control.... as long as foreign investment or interest isn't hurt that is.