CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
Dear representatives of the media!
Dear international observers!
Dear friends!
First of all, I express my heartfelt gratitude for active participation in covering such a political event as the elections of the deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of the halk Maslahaty and Gengeshes.
Yesterday, on March 25, elections of the deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of the halk Maslahaty and Gengeshes were held in the country. Elections were organized, with high voter turnout.
A total of 2,604 polling stations have been established for the conduct of voting at the elections, including 39 polling stations established with diplomatic missions and consulates of Turkmenistan abroad.
In accordance with the electoral code, the right to nominate candidates belongs to political parties and groups of citizens.
Representatives of the Democratic Party, the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan, as well as a group of citizens took part in the nomination of candidates for the election of deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of the halk maslahaty of the velayats, etraps, cities, and Gengesh. The nomination of candidates began on 24 January and ended on 22 February this year.
Registration of candidates was held from 3 to 27 February. The deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan registered 284 candidates, 489 candidates for members of the halk maslahaty of the velayats and Ashgabat city, 2,570 candidates for membership in the halk maslahaty etraps, cities for 2,570 candidates and 132,155 candidates for membership in the Gengeshes. The total number of candidates for all elections was 16558 people.
These figures indicate that in the elections held on March 25, 2 and 3 candidates applied for one seat. More precisely, for the elections of the deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan in 91 constituencies, 2 candidates, 34 constituencies, 3 candidates, 2 candidates for elections of members of the halk maslahaty of velayats, etraps and cities in 1261 constituencies, 179 constituencies of 3 candidates, 2 candidates in the election of members of the Gengeshes in 4485 districts, in 1415 constituencies, 3 candidates competed in accordance with democratic principles for obtaining the majority of votes.
For the elections of the deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, only 168 candidates were nominated from the political party, 116 candidates from groups of citizens:
from the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan 117,
from the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, 23,
from the Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan 28,
from groups of citizens of 116 candidates.
I would like to take this opportunity to note that in the history of independent Turkmenistan, elections held on a remarkable spring day differ from previous elections by a large number of registered candidates, holding four elections in one day with the participation of 3 political parties.
In these elections for the first time cameras were installed at the polling stations in the velayats and the city of Ashgabat and on the website of the Central Electoral Commission saylav.gov.tm a broadcast of the voting process was carried out online.
Demonstration of voting online was conducted on March 25, 2018 from 7:00 to 19:00 at the same time the site was visited by 170,969 people, and online demonstrations were used by 24,377 people.
The pre-election campaign of registered candidates started from the day of registration and stopped one day before the election day.
For all candidates, the same conditions were created for free conduct of election campaigning. All the candidates made speeches on the radio channels with program statements. The candidates met with voters in their respective districts, meetings were held, speeches were made, they delivered speeches and answered questions from voters.
The mass media provided each candidate with free airtime on the TV channels Altyn Asyr: Turkmenistan, Miras, Yashlyk, as well as printed areas on the pages of the central (Turkmenistan, Neutral Turkmenistan) and regional newspapers (" Ashgabat "," Akhal durmushy "," Balkan "," Dashoguz habarlary "," Turkmen Gundogary "," Maru Shahu Jahan ").
The Central Commission prepared a schedule of speeches of candidates for deputies on television.
The organization of meetings and meetings of candidates and their authorized representatives with the population was provided. A total of about 1,000 meetings were held.
Dozens of different videos have been prepared explaining the voting procedure, and on the radio channels they were brought to the public.
In order to conduct elections on the principles of openness and national democratic traditions, the website (saylav.gov.tm) of the Central Election Commission operated and operated, it regularly posted news, information about elections for general public.
On the Internet site of the State News Agency of Turkmenistan, news, information related to the election campaign are placed in three languages Turkmen, English and Russian.
In order to create the same voting conditions, all polling stations are equipped with equipped booths and ballot boxes for a single sample voting.
Precinct election commissions sent each voter a separate invitation with indication of the time and place of the elections.
For voters who do not have the opportunity to be on election day at their place of residence, from March 15 to March 24, 2018, early voting was given, and 3% of voters voted ahead of schedule.
For voters who are unable to visit polling stations for their own health reasons and other reasons, conditions have been created for voting at home.
Elections were held in a multiparty system, as well as universal, equal, direct, secret, free electoral right on an alternative basis.
All expenses for the preparation and conduct of elections were financed from the state budget of Turkmenistan.
During the elections, 4072 national observers, nominated by political parties, public associations, groups of citizens and candidates, observed.
International observers from the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Bureau of Democracy and Human Rights Institutions of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as well as from the Islamic Cooperation Organization, the United States of America, the Republic of Austria, the United Arab Emirates arrived to monitor the elections. Emirates, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Turkey, the People's Republic of China, and from other states.
According to international observers, the elections were held in an open and transparent manner, and showed Turkmenistan's commitment to a democratic development path.
During the stay in Turkmenistan to international observers, within the framework of the electoral legislation, all opportunities were created for detailed familiarization with the work of election commissions in the Ashgabat city and in all velayats, the opportunity to meet with members of election commissions, candidates, their proxies and voters. In general, the heads of the observer mission focused their attention on the organized conduct of elections on democratic and alternative principles. International observers separately noted the very active participation of voters in the elections.
Thus, 142 international and foreign observers watched the elections.
Elections of the deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of the Khalk Maslahaty and Gengeshes were covered by representatives of foreign mass media accredited in Turkmenistan and who arrived in our country by invitation.
Only 3 291 312 voters were registered.
In the elections of the deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of the halk maslahaty and the Gengeshs all over Turkmenistan, out of a total of 3,291,312 voters, 3,017,801 voted, which is 91.69 percent.
The Central Election Commission of Turkmenistan recognized the holding of elections of deputies to the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of the Khalk Maslahaty and the Gengeshes on March 25, 2018 from 7.00 to 19.00 in 2604 polling stations held in accordance with the law.
To present their suggestions to voters in the Central Election Commission, as well as in all polling stations, books of proposals were opened.
For the timely circulation of individuals and legal entities on election issues, prevention of violations of electoral legislation during the preparation and conduct of elections from March 15, 2018 in the Central Election Commission "duty phone" worked around the clock.
There were no applications or complaints during the preparation and conduct of the elections.
Yesterday evening at 19.00, voting at the polling stations was over, and counting of votes began, information from foreign polling stations continues to flow.
The information on the results of the elections within the time limits determined by law will be brought to the attention of the population by the mass media.
Dear representatives of the media!
Today at the Yildiz hotel at 11 o'clock a press conference of representatives of international CIS observers on the results of the elections is held.
And also, today in the hotel "Yildiz" will be held a press conference of representatives of international observers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the results of the elections.
By participating in these press conferences, you can learn the views and views of international observers from around the world about the elections in Turkmenistan.
Dear representatives of the media!
Dear international observers!
Dear friends!
I express my gratitude to you for participating in today's briefing. Thank you for attention!