ALMATY -- The first dynastic succession in a Central Asian state is expected to go live on Saturday as Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov prepares to transfer power to his son, Serdar, through an election that observers say features no actual competition.
"It is all but guaranteed that Turkmenistan will have Serdar Berdymukhamedov as its new president," Aynabat Yaylymova, a Turkmen civil society activist who is based abroad, told Nikkei Asia. However, she said, "it is important for Turkmenistan to hold the elections to promote legitimacy."
