Turkmenistan's acting President Gurbungali Berdymukhamedov has
won Sunday's presidential election with 89 percent of the votes,
Central Election Commission Chairman Murad Karriyev announced on
Wednesday.
Karriyev made the announcement at a session of the People's
Assembly, the country's top legislative body. Berdymukhamedov is
elected to a five-year term and expected to be inaugurated as
president of the Central Asian nation later at the session.
Berdymukhamedov was deputy prime minister before being named
interim leader following the death of President Saparmurat Niyazov
on Dec. 21.
Turkmenistan's constitution allows Berdymukhamedov to serve as
acting president for 60 days and then an election must be held.
Lying north of Afghanistan and Iran, the nation of 5 million
people became independent with the collapse of the former Soviet
Union in 1991. Turkmenistan is the top natural gas exporter in the
region.
(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2007)
