 However, on 24 December 2006, the People's Council voted to remove this provision, making him eligible for the election as one of the six chosen candidates, all members of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan.Berdimuhamedov was supported by the political elite, and the official results showed him as winning 89% of the vote.In his first presidential trip abroad, Berdimuhamedov visited Saudi Arabia in mid-April 2007.