Turkmen presidential candidates wrap up election campaign
By Kamila Aliyeva
The election campaign of candidates to take part in the presidential election scheduled for February 12, 2017, has ended in Turkmenistan.
The Turkmen Central Election Commission reported that all candidates held meetings with voters, visited every region and Ashagabat within the framework of the preparation for the upcoming presidential election in the country.
The Turkmen presidential candidates introduced their election programs to the electorate and shared their vision of the further development of the national economy, improvement of Turkmenistan’s prestige in the world community.
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.
The President of Turkmenistan is elected using the two-round system which is used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate. However, if no candidate receives the required number of votes (usually an absolute majority), then those candidates having less than a certain proportion of the votes, except for the two candidates receiving the most votes, are eliminated, and the second round of voting is held.
In September 2016 the amendments to the constitution were made to remove term limits and the 70-year-old age limit for presidential candidates, as well as extending the presidential term from five to seven years.
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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