Update on Turkmenistan's Parliamentary Elections, 2008

Reported turnout returned to its typically high level in 2008. The 2004 parliamentary election yielded an unusually low 77% turnout, but officials indicated that turnout was 94% in 2008. To put these results in context, no other "election" in Turkmenistan since Soviet collapse yielded less than 98% reported turnout. According to the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, ethnic Uzbeks planned to boycott the polls due to a lack of Uzbek candidates contesting seats.

RFE/RL discusses official and unofficial reactions to the election process. Certified results should be announced next week.