The reclusive and energy-rich Central Asian state will hold a presidential election on Feb. 12, but the result is considered a forgone conclusion. Reuters reports that President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, a 55-year-old qualified dentist, will face seven token candidates and almost certainly be re-elected to the post he has held since the 2007 death of Turkmenistan’s first post-Soviet leader, Saparmurat Niyazov. Berdymukhamedov won the last election in 2007 with a suspiciously staggering 89% of the vote. Even though there are multiple candidates contesting this election – adding the faintest democratic veneer — authorities do not permit any opposition political parties and rival candidates frequently praise the President, notes the Associated Press. Read more of TIME’s Turkmenistan coverage here.
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