Azernews.Az

By Kamila Aliyeva

The Central Elections Commission of Turkmenistan has announced that early voting in the 2017 presidential election will start on February 2, that is, ten days before the Election Day.

The voting process will be carried out daily from 08:00 to 18:00 [local time]. According to article 73 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, a voter who is unable to be on Election Day at the place of his residence, has a right to vote in advance at the polling station.

Nine candidates running for president were officially registered. For the first time in the history three political parties will participate in the presidential election campaign.

The Democratic Party nominated the current head of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, State Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs - the chairman of the Commercial Bank "Rysgal" Begmyrat Atalyeva, the Agrarian Party - Chairman of the Mary velayat (region) Committee Durdygylycha Orazov.

Deputy Chairman of Turkmen state association of food industry Maksat Annanepesov, Deputy Head of the Mary province of Turkmenistan Jumanazar Annayev; Director of Seydi oil refinery, MP Ramazan Durdyyev; Deputy Head of Dashoguz district Meretdurdy Gurbanov; Head of the Economic Department of Akhal province Serdar Jelilov and Director General of ‘Garabogazsulfat’ association Suleymannepes Nurnepesov are among the candidates nominated by initiative groups of Turkmen citizens.

To be nominated for the presidency the candidate should be a citizen, born in Turkmenistan, aged above 40 years, speak the state language, and live and work permanently in the country over the last 15 years.

Turkmen president is elected for a period of seven years, in accordance with the amendments made to the Constitution.

The current president of Turkmenistan, 59-year-old Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov headed the country since 2007. In 2012, he was re-elected for a new term securing 97.4 percent of votes.

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