On 19 March the inauguration ceremony of President-elect of Turkmenistan, Deputy Prime Minister and son of former President Serdar Berdymukhammedov, who had secured 72,97% of the vote in the election, was held in the Rukhyet Palace in Ashgabat.
Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov entered the hall accompanied by members of the incumbent Cabinet of Ministers and Serdar was escorted by the eight former Presidential candidates who had lost the election.
The Chairperson of Turkmenistan’s Central Election Commission Gulmyrat Muradov announced that international observers had acknowledged that the election was held “under conditions of transparency and openness, in line with Turkmenistan’s legislation and generally accepted international standards” (the OSCE and the US believed that Turkmenistan had failed to ensure conditions for fair elections).
The new head of state then gave an oath by putting his hand on the Constitution (the Quran was also on the stand) and then received his Presidential credentials.
The honorary elders placed a ceremonial golden chain on Berdymukhammedov junior.
In his address the newly-elected President promised to continue the policies pursued by the former government:
to build “Ashgabat-city” and new villages in the velayats;
to invest in the development of the fuel and energy complex and electric-power engineering;
to extend the export of products from these industries;
to implement the usage of alternative energy sources as well as water conservation technologies;
to expand the export of carpets by adding new ornaments and patterns to “fully meet the demand of local and foreign customers”.
In addition, Berdymukhammedov junior pledged to support small, mid-size and large technological enterprises, implement digital technologies in education, namely, long distance education. “This will improve the level of the academic process in Turkmenistan’s higher educational establishments to make them one of the best in the world”, Serdar Berdymukhammedov announced.
After the inauguration ceremony Serdar took the salute of a military parade in front of the Rukhyet Palace and then proceeded to the Convention Centre where a banquet was held in his honour.
The event was finalized with a festive firework display.
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