Turkmenistan to hold early presidential election on March 12

FILE PHOTO: Turkmenistan's President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov speaks at a news briefing in Tbilisi, Georgia, July 2, 2015. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili

ASHGABAT (Reuters) - Turkmenistan will hold an early presidential election on March 12, a Central Election Commission official told Reuters on Saturday, after President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov hinted he planned to resign.

Berdymukhamedov, 64, has run the gas-rich Central Asian nation since 2006 with sweeping powers and no effective opposition. His current term was set to end in 2024.

(Reporting by Marat Gurt; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)