OSCE observation mission begins monitoring Turkmen presidential election campaign
ASHGABAT. Feb 2 (Interfax) - A meeting with members of the mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE ODIHR), who arrived in Ashgabat to assess preparations and the course of Turkmenistan's presidential elections, set for February 12, has been held at the Turkmen Central Election Commission (CEC).
The Turkmenistan: the Golden Age online newspaper said that OSCE representatives had been informed of the planning calendar of events scheduled by the CEC, the list of election districts and polling stations, samples of documents and the general work done in the regions. It was said during the meeting that the first two stages of the election campaign - the nomination and registration of the presidential candidates - proceeded in line with Turkmenistan's current legislation.
CEC officials, for their part, offered assurances that the necessary conditions to monitor all of the stages of events as part of the Turkmen presidential elections would be created for the observers.
Highly assessing Turkmenistan's ongoing 'open door' and international partnership policy, as well as the country's course toward extensive democratic transformations, the OSCE ODIHR delegation members announced their readiness to continue providing the Turkmen side with comprehensive assistance in advancing the country's large-scale legal reform, intended to update national legislation and the electoral system.
The OSCE ODIHR mission members held a meeting at the Justice Ministry on the same day to discuss the prospects for intensifying a partnership to ensure citizens' rights and freedoms during the election campaign ahead of the Turkmen presidential elections.
During its visit, the delegation is also expected to hold meetings in the Turkmen parliament (Mejlis), the Foreign Ministry, the State News Agency, the State Committee for Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography, the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under the president of Turkmenistan, the Women's Union and the Makhtumkuli Youth Organization.
Meetings will also be arranged with the candidates for the post of Turkmen president nominated by political parties and citizens' campaign groups.
Preliminary voting in the Turkmen presidential elections began in the country on Thursday.
It was reported earlier that it was the first presidential election campaign to include three political parties. The Democratic Party nominated incumbent Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs nominated Rysgal Joint-Stock Commercial Bank CEO Bekmyrat Atalyyew, and the Agrarian Party nominated Chairman of the Agrarian Party's Mary Regional Committee Durdygylych Orazow.
Six candidates have been nominated by groups of citizens, among them State Food Industry Association Deputy Chairman Maksat Annanepesow, deputy head of the Mary regional administration Jumanazar Annayew, Seidi Oil Refinery Director Ramazan Durdyyew, deputy head of the Dasoguz regional administration Meretdurdy Gurbanow, head of the Ahal regional adminsitration's main department of economics and development Serdar Jelilow, and Turkmenkhimiya state concern's Garabogazsulfat General Director Suleyumannepes Nurnepesow.
The constitutional amendments, enacted in September 2016, extended the president's tenure to seven years. According to them, a candidate for the post of Turkmen president has to be a citizen who was born in Turkmenistan, who is not younger than 40 years old, who speaks the state language and who has been constantly living and working in Turkmenistan for the past 15 years.