Turkmenistan citizens are voting in an election that could establish a political dynasty for the gas-rich Central Asian nation's leader.

The son of Turkmenistan’s authoritarian leader will run in an early presidential election next month, a move that lays the foundation for a political dynasty in the gas-rich Central Asian republic.

Turkmenistan will hold snap presidential elections after the country's authoritarian leader announced he is ready to relinquish power to a new generation.

But with the collapse of gas prices in recent years, the screws are tightening -- a recent report by British think tank, The Foreign Policy Centre, suggests the Central Asian nation is now on the brink of collapse. For reasons that remain unclear, the first Turkmen president banned ballet, opera and golden teeth. State media likes to portray the 52-year-old president as a super-human figure with a seemingly endless array of talents. The Turkmen Foreign Ministry didn't respond to CNN requests for comment regarding allegations that the government is responsible for human rights abuses and forced labor in Turkmenistan. But in 2016, Gazprom stopped purchasing Turkmen gas following a price dispute and imports to China soared.