Tiraspol, 27 February. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The presidential elections will take place in Russia on 18 March. Nearly 400 polling stations will be opened outside Russia, with 24 of them in Pridnestrovie.
Preparation for the Russian presidential elections in the PMR is under personal control of Russia's ambassador to Moldova Farit Mukhametshin. In this regard, the diplomat held a number of meetings in Tiraspol today with the country's leadership. He discussed both the availability of the polling stations and the training of their heads.
"I want to thank the leadership of Pridnestrovie - both the president and the government and the Supreme Council and the Central Electoral Commission - for the help they are giving to the Russian embassy. We could not have allocated more than 700 people - members of election commissions - without the help of the Union of Russian Communities and other public organizations in Pridnestrovie. These are the people who are citizens of the Russian Federation and have experience working in [election] commissions," noted Farit Mukhametshin.
The ambassador said that training courses would be held in Tiraspol in early March for the heads of polling stations, their deputies, secretaries. Experts from Russia's Central Election Commission would be invited for this purpose.
Ballot papers have already been printed in Moscow and are ready to be sent to polling stations abroad. They are expected to come to Pridnestrovie by the end of the week.
In general, the preparation for the presidential elections in Pridnestrovie has turned the corner, Farit Mukhametshin stated.
"We have discussed current security issues, travel around Pridnestrovie, organisation of certain cultural and other programs so that voters will not just stand in line when they come to the polls. So that they will have the opportunity to sit and have a cup of tea. Thus, we are entering the final straightaway, and I am inviting all citizens of Russia to take an active part in the upcoming elections," said the ambassador.
About 57,000 Pridnestrovians took part in the 2016 State Duma elections. The embassy expects that the turnout will be even higher during the coming presidential elections.
