Turkmenistan's acting President Gurbungali Berdymukhamedov has won Sunday's presidential election with 89 percent of the votes, Central Election Commission Chairman Murad Karriyev announced on Wednesday.

Karriyev made the announcement at a session of the People's Assembly, the country's top legislative body. Berdymukhamedov is elected to a five-year term and expected to be inaugurated as president of the Central Asian nation later at the session.

Berdymukhamedov was deputy prime minister before being named interim leader following the death of President Saparmurat Niyazov on Dec. 21.

Turkmenistan's constitution allows Berdymukhamedov to serve as acting president for 60 days and then an election must be held.

Lying north of Afghanistan and Iran, the nation of 5 million people became independent with the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991. Turkmenistan is the top natural gas exporter in the region.

(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2007)