MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. Turkmenistan’s ruling Democratic Party has nominated President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov’s son, Serdar, as candidate for president at the early presidential elections on March 12, the Orient agency reported on Monday.

According to the agency, Serdar Berdymukhamedov spoke at the extraordinary party congress, which supported his candidature.

Since February 2021, Serdar Berdymukhamedov has been Turkmenistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for economics and finance. Prior to that, he was a deputy foreign minister and head of the Ahal region. He was also Minister of Industry and Construction.

Berdymukhamedov attended a session of the country’s upper parliamentary chamber, Halk Maslakhaty, on February 11. The Turkmen leader, aged 65, told MPs that he had made "a difficult decision about myself." In his words, it is time to make way for the younger generation. On the following day, the country’s Central Election Commission announced early presidential elections on March 12. No other candidates for president have been nominated as of yet.

Founded in 1991 by Turkmenistan’s first President Saparmurat Niyazov, the ruling Democratic Party I the biggest party in the country. Following parliamentary polls in 2018, the party won 55 out of 125 seats in the lower parliament house. Gurbanguly Berdymukamedov took the party’s leadership in 2006 after Niyazov’s death and suspended his membership in 2013.