Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Feb. 11 / Trend H.Hasanov /
The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Turkmenistan announced Feb.11 "the day of silence" before the presidential elections, the CEC said on Saturday.
As many as eight candidates compete for the highest office. These include incumbent President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, deputy head of Dashoguz province Recep Bazarov, head of one of departments of Turkmengaz Kakageldy Abdyllayev, employee of Turkmenoil Gurbanmammad Mollnyazov, minister of water economy Annageldy Yazmyradov, employee of the Ministry of construction Esenkuli Gayipov, director of cotton mill Saparmyrat Batyrov and minister of energy and industry Yarmuhammet Orazgulyev.
According to the law "On elections of president of Turkmenistan", election campaign comes to an end one day before the elections. Thus, it was decided to declare February 11 "day of silence", the CEC said in a statement.
Exactly at midnight on Feb 11 one of the most important stages of the presidential campaign of Turkmenistan, election campaign, ended. People will vote at all polling stations on February 12 from 8 am to 20 pm.
The Central Election Commission of Turkmenistan pays attention to the fact that from the day campaign was announced all the provisions of electoral law have been fulfilled and all of the organizational and preparatory work has been held.
Condition "number one" has been announced at all polling stations in the country, each of which is equipped in advance with transparent ballot boxes, including portable, ballot papers and all necessary reference and instructional literature. Rooms equipped with special polling booth are set aside for voting procedure. Each polling station is equipped with reliable communication and transportation facilities.
At the invitation of the Central Election Commission of Turkmenistan the mission of CIS observers is in the country. It includes representatives of the CIS, the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth, Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia, the CIS Executive Committee.
"Turkmenistan is on the verge of a major event. Less than a day left until the moment when the country's polling stations will open their doors to the Turkmen people, who will use their constitutional right to perform a civic duty and elect the president," the Turkmen State News Service Dovlet khabarlary wrote on Saturday.
The Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper said that "the election of the president of Turkmenistan will be another clear indication of the irreversibility of the process of democratization of the modern Turkmen society, preparing in an environment of openness, transparency, awareness of their high responsibility for the future of the homeland to opt for the most worthy of the eight candidates running for the highest the post."