Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Feb.1/ Trend H. Hasanov /
Presidential pre-election campaign launched in Turkmenistan three months ago, is nearing completion: presidential elections will take place in the country on Feb.12. Turkmen presidential elections "will demonstrate scope and scale of the democratic reforms in the country, the Turkmen people's determination to confidently follow way of progress and creativity," the country's CEC said.
Eight candidates, including incumbent President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov, who holds the post since 2007, participate in the presidential campaign.
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, institutions and organisations. The presidential term is five years.
According to the CEC, at present, presidential candidates' meetings with voters are nearing completion, their authorized representatives, who hold meetings with voters everywhere, are involved in the active work.
All candidates and their authorized representatives are provided with equal opportunities for campaigning, the CEC said. "Two important phases of pre-election campaign - nomination and candidates registration ended," the report says.
A number of organizational issues, including early voting, were included in the agenda of the next meeting of the CEC.
"All the polling stations are equipped with modern office equipment, transparent ballot boxes, reference and instructional literature, texts of normative and legislative acts in Turkmen and Russian languages, as well as with means of communication," the CEC reported.