Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Dec.15 / Trend, H. Hasanov /
The current Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov, who runs the country since 2007, was nominated by public organizations on Thursday, an official Turkmen source said.
The day before a campaign was launched to nominate presidential candidates in Turkmenistan, whose election is scheduled for Feb.12, 2012. Berdimuhammadov said recently that the 2012 presidential election "will take place in a democratic, alternative basis, and based principles of democracy, openness and transparency".
The President stressed the presidential elections will be monitored by national and foreign observers.
Turkmen MPs also stated that the next presidential elections in the country will be based on the Constitution and take into account the UN and OSCE international electoral standards.
This topic was discussed during the recent meetings of President Berdimuhammadov with OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake.
According to the Constitution, the President of Turkmenistan must be a citizen of and born in Turkmenistan, aged at least 40 and no older than 70 years, know the state language, have resided in Turkmenistan over the past 15 years and have worked in state bodies, public associations, enterprises in institutions and organisations. The Presidential term is five years.