Chechnya begins early presidential campaign

An early presidential campaign begins in Chechnya on Monday. The Chechen Election Commission will officially publish a resolution that the presidential elections will be held on August 29.

Every candidate contesting the post of the Chechen president should either collect 6,000 votes in his support (one percent of the total number of eligible voters in Chechnya) or pay a collateral worth 4.5 million rubles in order to get registered a candidate, Chairman of the Chechen Election Commission Abdul-Kerim Arsakhanov reported.

The victory in the first round is possible on condition that a candidate wins 50 percent plus one vote given that the turnout is no less than 50 percent. Otherwise, run-off elections will be held in which the winner will be decided by a simple majority.

July 14 is the deadline by which all the candidates for presidency should submit their documents to the Election Commission. The election law envisages that signatures collected in support of each candidate should be checked within ten days. The final number of the candidates registered for the presidential elections will be announced on July 25.

Around 565,000 voters, including servicemen stationed in Chechnya on a permanent basis, are expected to take part in the early presidential elections in Chechnya.