Presidential election campaigns kick off in Kazakhstan

 Five presidential candidates Tuesday started their election campaigns in Kazakhstan, which will end on Dec 2, two days before the polling day.

    Candidacy registration ended at midnight on Monday. Among the five candidates confirmed by the country's Central Election Committee is incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who is seeking another seven-year term.

    The presidential election is scheduled for Dec. 4. During the campaigns, each candidate will be allocated a fund of some 41,000 US dollars for carrying out their media campaigns.

    The candidates are also going to make campaign tours across the country.

    Nazarbayev has led the Central Asian country since 1991 when it became independent from the former Soviet Union.