Transnistria prepares for presidential elections

The unrecognized Transnistrian republic has kicked off preparations for presidential elections to be held on December 10. Under a decision of the breakaway region's election authority, the campaign shall start on November 13, local press reported. All the territorial election councils were formed in the region, except for the constituencies of Bender and Slobozia. According to the online news service newspmr.com, candidates may start their campaigns from the moment the candidacy is publicly announced and not from their formal registration with the election authority, as it was prior to the modification of the region's election code. Despite recent electoral amendments limiting presidential terms to two, Transnistira's two-decade-serving president Igor Smirnov will be entitled to run for one more term.