Image source, Turkmen Football Federation Image caption, Arkadag has signed most of the Turkmen

His nearest rival in a field of nine candidates was a university official, Khyrdyr Nunnayev, who won 11 percent. There was an unexpected wait for the result, after the authorities said Sunday they needed more time to count the votes.... Under his rule, China replaced Russia as the main buyer for Turkmenistan’s vast gas reserves. Serdar Berdymukhammedov has risen through a series of increasingly prominent government posts and most recently served as the country’s deputy prime minister, answering