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Significance
All eight challengers are hand-picked and none has hinted at opposition to the favourite. Turkmenistan's adherence to a nominally democratic process is partly for external consumption and partly to reinforce domestic acceptance of the status quo. At 59, the president is young enough not to need any succession mechanism.
Impacts
Elite-level challenges to Berdymuhamedov's rule will be dealt with silently and ruthlessly.
Constraints on gas export revenues will force the government to make hard fiscal choices.
Concerns about security on the Afghan border may force a rapprochement with Russia.
Keywords:
Turkmenistan,
RUCIS,
China,
CIS,
Iran,
Russia,
economy,
international relations,
politics,
social,
election,
government,
utilities,
welfare,
media,
foreign policy,
foreign trade,
gas
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2017
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