CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
Elections held in permanently Neutral Turkmenistan are the true demonstration of improvement of the principles of real democracy, based on the national customs of the democratic foundations of society and the state.
Political parties and groups of citizens has an important role in organizing and conducting elections based on democratic principles, since the main purpose of elections consists of nominating and electing worthy candidates.
Candidate - a citizen, who has the right to vote and applying for the choice of position.
In accordance with Articles 44 and 47 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, the right to nominate candidates is vested to political parties registered before Election Day, as well as groups of citizens. In essence, the holding of elections in Turkmenistan in the context of a multi-party system, that is, the participation of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Agrarian Party, and groups of citizens suggests that elections are held on the basis of democratic principles, publicity, clarity and wide competition in accordance with international standards.
A candidate for the Presidency of Turkmenistan can be nominated a citizen of Turkmenistan, who was born in Turkmenistan, not younger than forty years old, who speaks the state language, has been permanently residing and working in Turkmenistan for the past fifteen years.
Citizens of Turkmenistan who have reached the age of twenty-five years and permanently residing in Turkmenistan over the past ten years can be nominated as candidates to the Mejlis of Turkmenistan.
Citizens of Turkmenistan who have reached the age of twenty-one by the Election Day and residing in the relevant territory can be nominated as candidates for members of the halk maslahaty, Gengesh.
Nomination of candidates begins sixty days and ends thirty days before the elections.
A candidate is informing (in writing form) the relevant election commission about his consent to run for office.
When nominating a candidate for the Presidency of Turkmenistan by groups of citizens, he must be supported by at least ten thousand signatures of voters.
The Central Election Commission registers the initiative group within three days from the date of receipt of the application for registration of the initiative group, signed by the leader and members of the initiative group, indicating their last name, first name, patronymic name, date of birth, place of residence, and group location and gives each member group appropriate certificate. An application for registration of an initiative group may be submitted seventy days before the Election Day.
The collection of signatures is organized by the candidate’s initiative group. The initiative group must include at least fifty citizens of Turkmenistan who have the right to vote.
An election campaign is conducted for all candidates on an equal basis, on the basis of free agitation, clarity, publicity and free nomination of candidates.
Each voter can participate in only one meeting of groups of citizens; this rule applies to the meeting of citizens on the nomination of candidates for representative bodies of the same level.
At each meeting of groups of citizens for the nomination of candidates to the relevant electoral district can be nominated only one candidate for deputy of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of the halk maslahaty, Gengesh. A candidate is considered nominated, if more than half of the participants in a meeting of a group of citizens voted for him.
The decision to nominating a candidate is taken by open or secret voting. The voting procedure and other procedural matters are determined by the participants of the meeting.
Registration of candidates is carried out in accordance with Article 48 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan.
The relevant election commission no later than on the fifth day after registration, informs the population about the registration of candidates, indicating their surname, patronymic, year and place of birth, place of work, position (occupation), place of residence of each candidate.
From the time of registration, candidates have equal rights to speak at election meetings, and in the mass media.
Each candidate for the Presidency of Turkmenistan may have up to three proxies in each etrap, city with rights of etrap, to deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of the halk maslahaty - up to five, and up to three proxies to members of the Gengesh. They help the candidate to conduct an election campaign, campaign for his election, represent his interests in relations with bodies of state power and local self-government, political parties, public associations, voters, and also in election commissions.
The candidate, after his registration, determines the proxies at his own discretion and reports them to register to the relevant election commission.
Registration of proxies of candidates for the Presidency of Turkmenistan is carried out by the Central Election Commission. To the deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan - by the relevant district election commission. To members of the halk maslahaty of the city of Ashgabat and velayats - by the election commissions of the city of Ashgabat of the respective velayat. To members of the halk maslahaty of the etrap, the city - by the election commissions of the corresponding etrap, city. To members of the Gengesh - by the election commissions of the city in the etrap, settlement, gengeshlik.
When carrying out works related with the implementation of elections, the proxies of the candidates must have an identity card. In case of violation of the rules by proxies, its official registration is canceled by the relevant election commission.
A candidate is entitled to replace proxies at any time before the elections. A proxy may also terminate his powers at any time. A member of the election commission cannot be a proxy of the candidate. In accordance with the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, powers of proxies begin from the moment of registration and end after summing up the election results.
What are the powers of the proxies of the candidates? In accordance with the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, candidates, observers, representatives of groups of citizens, public associations and political parties have the right to meet with voters, to monitor compliance with the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, the preparation and conduction of elections; to express their opinion about the electoral legislation of Turkmenistan, about the preparation and conduction of elections; control the compilation of the list of voters, as well as get acquainted with the list, attend in the meeting of the election commission of Turkmenistan when sealing ballot boxes; to observe the early voting and voting outside the premises, the voting process at the polling stations on Election Day, the process of issuing ballots; to observe any filled and unfilled ballots during the counting of votes, as well as the preparation of protocols and other documents according to the results of the voting of the election commission; to follow the counting of real, false, spoiled ballots, get acquainted with the protocols and the attached documents as a results of voting, receive confirmed copies of the protocols of the election commission.
The proxies of the candidates carry out campaign work, not prohibited by law, by methods and techniques calling for the active participation of voters in elections. Proxies of candidates have the right to freely and comprehensively discuss election programs, activities, personal qualities of candidates at meetings, and in the mass media.
Proxies of candidates do not have the right to give out ballots, fill them in place of voters, act in violation of the secrecy of the vote, participate in the counting of votes, and interfere to the works of election commissions.
Candidates, their close relatives, proxies of candidates from the moment of calling elections are prohibited from bribing voters: pay them money, give presents and other material values, carry out a preferential sale of goods, distribute any goods for free, with the exception of printed campaign materials, and also present other services free of charge or on preferential terms. And also, from the moment of appointment and before the publication of the election results, is not entitled to engage in charitable activities. In its political life permanently Neutral Turkmenistan has chosen a democratic path of development aimed to protecting the freedoms and rights of its citizens.
Today, our country is confidently moving forward under the leadership of the distinguished President.
Garyagdyyew Berdimyrat,
Chief specialist of the Organizational department of Central Commission for holding Elections and Referendums in Turkmenistan.