Ashgabat - Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow has been registered as presidential candidate.
On Wednesday the Turkmen press reported that he was registered on January 3 at a regular session of the Central Commission for Elections and Referendums in Turkmenistan.
After the registration procedure Berdimuhamedov studied reference materials concerning elections, instructions of filling documents and samples of certificates for local and foreign observers and media representatives, ballot boxes for voting at polling stations and at home.
The president paid special attention to a big VDU that will show figures reflecting the progress of voting at polling stations in the regions. He stressed the importance of promptly tabulating data and reporting it in the media.
Berdimuhamedov was unanimously nominated candidate in the February 12 election by a joint session of pubic organizations: the Democratic Party, trade unions, the Mahtumkuli Youth Organization, the Organization of War Veterans and the Women’s Union of Turkmenistan on December 15, 2011.
The registration of presidential candidates started on December 29. By now eight candidates have been registered: Berdimuhamedov, head of Lebaprurlushyk production association E. Gaiypov, director of Geotepe textile mill S. Batyrov, Deputy Energy and Industry Minister Ya. Orazgulyev, deputy head of Dashoguz region administration R. Bazarov, head of Turkmengaz corporation department K. Abdullayev, manager of Turkmennebit concern G. Mallanyyzov, and Water Economy Minister A. Yazmyradov.
The registration of candidates will continue until January 18. Under the law it begins 45 days before election day and ends 25 days before.
Berdimuhamedov has said that the future presidential election will be democratic and based on the principles of openness and glasnost. All candidates will be offered equal rights and opportunities.
Article 51 of the constitution of Turkmenistan describes the requirements to a candidate for presidency: a person born in Tajikistan, aged 40 to 70, having a command of the Turkmen language, who permanently lived in Turkmenistan for 15 years before election, and working in the public or private sector.
The elections will be monitored by both local (over 2,300) and foreign observers. Active preparations are now under way at all 2,307 polling stations, 29 of them abroad.
