Turkmenistan parliament sets February 11 election date
Moscow/Ashgabad (dpa) - Turkmenistan has set February as the date for elections to replace late President Saparmurad Niyasov, the Turkmen electoral commission said reporting on the session of the country's People's Council.
According to the Interfax news agency, the 2,507 member of the People's Council named the first candidates for the presidential elections as well as passed an election law, which the country lacked due to the fact that Niyazov, who died of heart failure at the age of 66 on December 21, had himself named president for life.
First candidates allowed have been Deputy Gas and Industry Minister Ishanguly Nurriyev and Vice Sports Minister Durdy Durgiyev.
Political observers have considered Interim President Gurbanguly Berdimukhammedov a top contender along with Akmurat Rejepov, who was the head of Niyazov's bodyguards.
Exile opposition leaders agreed to jointly put forward Khudayberdy Orazov as their candidate. Whether Orazov can actual participate is in question, as the interim government has so far refused to allow the regime's opponents back into the country.
Interfax also reported that members of the People's Council brought Defence Minister Agageldy Mamadgeldyev into the political body.
Members of the opposition camp in exile had previously told the Russian paper Vremya Novosti that Mamadgeldyev and around 120 further persons had been arrested in the wake of Niyazov's death.
On Monday, the exile political opposition had called for the release of the country's political prisoners.
Opposition politician Bayram Shikhmuradov in an interview with the Interfax news agency also called for a declaration of Tuesday December 26 as a day of national reconciliation.
Under the constitution, the Turkmenian People's Council, as the country's highest political organ, is to set a date for new elections. But it can also determine the candidates for election.
Reports in Moscow said that the defence minister was considered the leading candidate to become chairman of the People's Council
But with Turkmenistan remaining largely sealed off from outside view, there was only speculation as to possible candidates for the presidential election.
The opposition in the Ukrainian capital Kiev declared on Monday their intent to run jointly in the elections, but did not name a candidate. // © 2006 DPA
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