CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
Just recently, in connection with the expiration of the term of office of precinct election commissions, work was organized to elect members of precinct election commissions. With a request to talk about this, we turned to the secretary-referent of the Central Commission for Holding Elections and Referendums in Turkmenistan Hekimberdi OVEZOV. He told us the following:
– Calmness reigning in Turkmen society, peace and harmony is the fruit of a peculiar national feature of Turkmen democracy.
This is confirmed by international observers who come to participate as observers in the elections held in Turkmenistan. The recently organized events for the election of members of precinct election commissions fully testify to this. In connection with the completion of the five-year term of office of members of precinct election commissions formed in 2014, they were re-formed in October and November of this year.
In accordance with Article 18 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, representatives of the Democratic Party, the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan, as well as the primary organizations of public associations - Trade Unions, Women’s Union, Youth Organization named after Magtymguly, as well as citizens’ groups were nominated to the precinct election commissions.
For voting in elections in our country, the total number of active polling stations is 2568. Nomination of 17586 representatives in the membership of these precinct election commissions in a multi-party system is a symbol of the complete triumph of a kind of national democracy in Neutral Turkmenistan. Another full evidence of this is the nomination from the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan 4831, from the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan 367, from the Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan 1451, from Trade Unions of Turkmenistan 4625, from the Youth Organization of Turkmenistan named after Magtymguly 2981, from the Union of Women of Turkmenistan 1808 and from citizen’s groups 1523 representatives.
The fact that 43.45% of members of precinct election commissions are women is evidence that in Turkmen society they attach great importance to gender equality. In addition, there is a circumstance requiring attention. Paying attention to the composition of the members of the commissions, it can be noted that a new generation has joined the country’s socio-political life.
In such events held in our country, special attention is paid to national minorities. Among the members of the precinct election commissions there are representatives of different nationalities living in Neutral Turkmenistan, namely: Turkmens, Azerbaijanis, Balochis, Bashkirs, Armenians, Persians, Kazakhs, Karakalpaks, Koreans, Uzbeks, Russians, Tatars. And this means that in the next five years, all elections held in our country will be held on even more democratic foundations.
– Thank you very much for this interview!
The interview was recorded by A. AKMYRADOV.