Today, on Feb. 12, polling stations opened at 07:00 (UTC/GMT+5) for voting in the presidential election in Turkmenistan. In total, 2,548 polling stations, including 39 at the Turkmen diplomatic missions in foreign countries, opened for voting. The polling stations will be closed at 19:00 (UTC/GMT+5), Trend reports.
Turkmen citizens, who are 18-years old, are entitled to participate in the election and referendum. The citizens who don’t have the opportunity to be at the place of their residence on the election day could vote in advance beginning from Feb. 2.
A candidate has to gain over 50 percent of total votes to win the election. The Turkmen Central Election Commission (CEC) sums up the voting results on the basis of the protocols of the election commissions no later than on the seventh day after the election.
A delegation of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the CIS observation mission are in Turkmenistan in connection with the presidential election.
Nine presidential candidates were officially registered for participation. The Democratic Party nominated the incumbent head of state Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan nominated chairman of the Commercial Bank Rysgal, Bekmyrat Atalyev, and the Agrarian Party nominated chairman of the Mary province committee Durdygylych Orazov.
Deputy Chairman of Turkmen state association of food industry Maksat Annanepesov, Deputy Head of the Mary province of Turkmenistan Jumanazar Annayev, Director of Seydi oil refinery, MP Ramazan Durdyyev, Deputy Head of Dashoguz district Meretdurdy Gurbanov, Head of the Economic Department of Akhal province Serdar Jelilov, and Director General of Garabogazsulfat association Suleymannepes Nurnepesov are among the candidates nominated by initiative groups of Turkmen citizens.
Turkmen president is elected for a period of seven years.
