(turkmeniatan.ru) - The Central Commission for Conducting Elections and Referendums in Turkmenistan has created all conditions for presidential candidates to compete on equal terms in election race, head of the central commission Murad Garriyev said in an interview published in central newspapers of Turkmenistan.
According to him, 65 election districts and 1624 polling stations have been established in Turkmenistan in order to conduct open, transparent and democratic elections, the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports. Election commissions were set up at all levels, and information about composition of these commissions was published. The text of the law "On election of president of Turkmenistan" in Turkmen and Russian, posters with biographies and election programs of candidates for the presidency were distributed everywhere, reports Trend.
The expenditures on election campaign and elections are fully covered by the state budget of Turkmenistan, Murad Garriyev said. Other sources of funding are prohibited. Each candidate is given equal funds. The central commission allocates and controls the appropriate use of these funds.
The presidential candidates have equal access to mass media. The election commissions also provide equal opportunities for the candidates to hold public meetings and oversee the observance of the established election procedures, Murad Garriyev noted. The candidates' meetings with electorate in all provinces of the country are broadcasted on national TV and Radio and covered by press.
"As regards election of a new president of Turkmenistan scheduled for February 11, I would like to emphasize that despite strong objections of people Saparmurat Niyazov was very serious about holding presidential elections in 2009. In Saparmurat Niyazov's view, Turkmenistan would have had a completely new democratic institute of the people's power by that time based on ancient traditions of Turkmens," said the head of Turkmenistan's Commission for Conducting Elections and Referendums in Turkmenistan.