Azernews.Az

ASTANA – Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev formally agreed on Friday to run for re-election in snap polls he called earlier this month where he is almost certain to win another five-year term, AFP reported.

"I agree to stand in polls for the post of president of Kazakhstan," he said at a congress of the ruling party Nur Otan, where he was officially invited to run in the April 3 presidential election.

Nazarbayev earlier issued a decree to conduct the polls following the passage of a constitutional amendment.

A new five year term at the helm of the Central Asia's former Soviet republic would extend the 70 year-old leader's rule to a third decade.

"I view the decision to nominate me as presidential candidate as support of my course, I am sure that together we will win," Nazarbayev said.

The announcement comes after weeks of political manoeuvring that included Nazarbayev's unexpected rejection of a plan to hold a referendum on prolonging his rule until 2020, instead calling for the early polls.

His rejection of the referendum followed rare criticism of the idea by the United States, a key ally. Critics have called the early elections alternative a mere smokescreen to pacify the West, since Nazarbayev's victory is seen as a foregone conclusion.

Pre-election campaigning is to start on March 3 and end on April 1.