Note: The Central Commission for Holding Elections and Referendums in Turkmenistan only released percentages and did not release vote counts. Candidates who recieved less than 5% of the vote are excluded from the results. 

At stake in this election[i]:

• This snap election will determine the President of Turkmenistan. *

*Note: Many international observers have raised concerns about the freedom of elections in Turkmenistan. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), who monitored the recent 2018 parliamentary election, noted that the elections “lacked important prerequisites of a genuinely democratic electoral process”.

Description of government structure[ii]:

• Chief of State: President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007)*
• Assembly: Bicameral National Council (Milli Genesi) that consists of the People’s Council (Halk Maslahaty) and the Assembly (Mejlisi).

*Note: The President is both the Chief of State and the Head of Government.

Description of electoral system[iii]:

• The president is directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term.
• The bicameral National Council consists of the People’s Council (Halk Maslahaty) which has 56 seats (48 members indirectly elected by provincial councils and 8 members appointed by the president) and the Assembly (Mejlisi) which has 125 seats (members are directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms).

Last Election[iv]:

• The last presidential election was held on February 12, 2017. Incumbent President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW won 97.69% of the vote (3,090,610 votes). Maksat ANNANEPESOV won 1.02% of the vote (32,269 votes).

Main Candidates in this election[v]*:

• Candidate: Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOW*
  • Party: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (TDP)
• Candidate: Agadzhan BEKMYRADOV
  • Party: Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan (TAP)
• Candidate: Perhat BEGENJOV
  • Party: N/A (Independent)
• Candidate: Berdymammet GURBANOV
  • Party: N/A (Independent)
• Candidate: Babamurat MEREDOV
  • Party: Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan (TSTP)
• Candidate: Maksatmurat OVEZGELDYEV
  • Party: N/A (Independent)
• Candidate: Kakageldy SARYEV
  • Party: N/A (Independent)
• Candidate: Maksat ODESHOV
  • Party: N/A (Independent)
• Candidate: Hydyr NUNNAEV
  • Party N/A (Independent) 

*Note: given that there was only a month-long period between the announcement of the snap election and election day, the candidate list is still in flux.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 5,579,889 (July 2021 est.)[vi]
• Registered Voters: 3,291,312 (2018 est.)[vii]

Gender Data:

• Female Population: Not available
• Is Turkmenistan a signatory to CEDAW: No [viii]
• Has Turkmenistan ratified CEDAW: Yes (1 May 1997 accession date)[ix]
• Gender Quota: No electoral quota.[x]
• Female candidates in this election: Not available
• Number of female legislators: 30 out of 86 (in the Assembly) and 14 out of 41 (in the People’s Council)*[xi]
• Human Development Index Position: 0.715 (ranked 111)[xii]
• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A (as of 2019)[xiii]

*Note: Although the Assembly typically has 125 members, it currently only has 116.

Disability Data:

• Is Turkmenistan a signatory to CRPD: No[xiv]
• Has Turkmenistan ratified CRPD: Yes (4 September 2008 accession date)[xv]
• Population with a disability: 784,713 (2022 est.)[xvi]