Turkmenistan: Early Voting For Presidential Elections Starts

By Huseyn Hasanov

The Central Commission for Election and Referenda of Turkmenistan has adopted a resolution according to which early voting at the country’s presidential election will start Feb. 2, 2017.

The early voting will be carried out daily from 08:00 (GMT +5 hours) to 18:00. In accordance with the article 73 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, those, who are unable to be at their place of residence on the election day, have the right for early voting at a polling station.

The Presidential election in Turkmenistan is scheduled for Feb. 12, 2017.

Nine presidential candidates were officially registered in Turkmenistan.

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; Director General of ‘Garabogazsulfat’ association Suleymannepes Nurnepesov and are among the candidates nominated by initiative groups of Turkmen citizens.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has been elected twice as the country’s president. During the presidential election in 2012, 97.4 percent of voters cast their ballots for Berdimuhamedov.

Turkmen president is elected for a period of seven years, according to new amendments to the country’s Constitution.