At the Elder’s council meeting held on September 14, 2016, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the year of 2017 in the life of our country is a year of major historical events, defining the exceptional importance of elections of the President of Turkmenistan to be one of them. - I would like to see as many candidates as possible participating in the election of the Head of state, - said the President of the country addressing the participants of the national forum, where he stressed that it is necessary to provide each highly educated, competent citizen who has a lot of experience, who wants to faithfully serve his people the opportunity to run for the highest office as a representative of the political parties or groups of citizens. The Turkmen leader emphasized that in election campaign in 2017 will be the first with participation of three parties, namely the Democratic Party, the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Agrarian Party. The fact of the creation of a multiparty system in the country and, therefore, increased electoral competition, has become another important step in the democratization of state and society. Nomination of presidential candidates has started on December 14, 2016 and continued until January 12, 2017. According to terms, specified in domestic legislation, Political parties have held a conference, at which presidential candidates were nominated. A candidate for the presidency from initiative groups consisting of not less than fifty citizens of Turkmenistan should be supported by not less than ten thousand signatures of voters. Six action teams could collect the required number of signatures in support of their candidates for the post of President of the country within the statutory period. The Central Election Commission, having considered the documents provided by political parties and initiative groups, on the 24th, 25th and 26th December 2016 registered nine candidates for the post of the President of Turkmenistan. These include (in alphabetical order, according to the Turkmen alphabet): Annanepesov Maksat Kovusovich - Deputy Chairman of the State Association of food industry (from the initiative group of Ashgabat citizens); Annayev Jumanazar - deputy governor of Mary velayat (from the initiative group of citizens of Mary velayat); Atalyev Bekmurat Sahatmuradovich - Chairman of the Joint-Stock Commercial Bank “Rysgal”, the deputy of Mejlis (Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs); Berdimuhamedov Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich - acting President of Turkmenistan (Democratic Party of Turkmenistan); Durdyyev Ramadan Mustapakulyevich – Director of Seydi oil refinery, the deputy of Mejlis of Turkmenistan (from the initiative group of citizens of Lebap velayat); Gurbanov Meretdurdy Isgenderovich - deputy governor of Dashoguz velayat (from the initiative group of citizens of Dashoguz velayat); Dzhelilov Serdar Begmuhamedovich - Head of Economy and Development of Akhal velayat (from the initiative group of citizens of Akhal velayat); Nurnepesov Suleymannepes Oraznepesovich - Director General of the production association “Garabogazsulfat” State Concern “Turkmenhimiya” (from the initiative group of citizens of Balkan velayat); Orazov Durdyklych - Chairman of Mary Regional Committee of Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan (Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan). Thus, the country's presidential candidates have been nominated on the basis of free and equal treatment, and the procedure of nomination and registration was of open nature and in compliance with the requirements of national legislation. On January 17th, 2017 the registration of all nine candidates for the presidency, nominated by political parties and citizens' initiatives, has been completed. The election campaign and the media campaign, starting from the date of registration of candidates, will last till February 10, 2017. It should be especially emphasized that, in accordance with the Electoral Code, political parties, public associations, citizens of Turkmenistan, candidates, their proxies and the initiative teams are provided with free campaigning opportunities. Candidates and initiative groups are guaranteed free and equal access to media. In order to clarify the election programs of candidates, the Central Election Commission approved the schedule of meetings, gatherings of candidates for the highest state post with the voters. Meetings with voters are generally held in all regions of the country and in the capital. As of February 1st, candidates have held 42 meetings with voters of the 48 planned. In addition, the broadcasts of applicants for the post of President of Turkmenistan on national television are ongoing. The meeting with voters of all regions and Ashgabat have already be completed by: Deputy Chairman of State Association of food industry M. Annanepesov; Deputy governor of Mary velayat D. Annaev; chairman of the Joint-Stock Commercial Bank “Rysgal”, Majlis deputy B. Atalyev; Director of Seydi oil refinery R. Durdyev; deputy governor of Dashoguz velayat M. Gurbanov. The remaining meetings include: meeting with the head of department of economy and development of Akhal velayat S. Dzhelilov, which will be held today, February 2nd, in Ashgabat; meeting with the Director General of the production association “Garabogazsulfat” S. Nurnepesov, which will take place on February 3rd in Mary and February 4th in Ashgabat, with the chairman of Mary velayat Committee of Agrarian Party D. Orazov, scheduled for February 3rd in Turkmenabat, February 6th in Mary and February 7th in Ashgabat. There is an ongoing 2nd round of appearances on national television, and today, on February 2nd, the procedure of early voting will begin. Television and radio channels transmitted information messages about the upcoming elections on a regular basis. Also, television broadcasts included videos explaining the procedure of voting, early voting, the procedure of filling in ballots. According to the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, the presidential candidates in the country on free and equal terms were granted: 370 minutes of airtime on TV channels “Altyn Asyr: Turkmenistan”, “Miras” and “Yashlyk”; 120 minutes of airtime on TV channel “Turkmenistan”, which broadcasts in Turkmen, English, Russian, Arabic, Persian, Chinese and French; 60 minutes of air time on the radio channel “Vatan”; 15 minutes of air time on the radio channel “Char tarapdan”; 30 minutes of air time on the radio channel “Ovaz” in Turkmen, English and Russian languages. The website of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of Turkmenistan promptly provides information about the decisions, regulations and instructions, news related on the election campaign. In printed media, national newspapers regularly publish relevant materials in Turkmen (“Turkmenistan” newspaper) and in Russian (“Neutral Turkmenistan” newspaper) languages. Opportunities of leading national Internet resources are also widely used. In particular, the websites of the State news agency (TDH) and “Turkmenistan: Golden Age” have created special sections devoted to the election of the President of Turkmenistan 2017, which promptly provide information in Turkmen, English and Russian languages ​​on the pre-election programs of candidates and on the election campaign. Information materials are published in the following periodicals: ""Vatan"" and ""Nesil"", and in six provincial and metropolitan newspapers: ""Ashgabat"", ""Akhal Durmush"", ""Balkan"", ""Dashoguz khabarlary"", ""Turkmen Gundogar"", and ""Maru Shakhu Jahan "". Thus, all kinds of country's media sources provide equal conditions for the duration and volume of coverage of the election activities of candidates, who together with their agents are active in the electoral environment. The elections for the post of the President of Turkmenistan will be held in 10 days.