CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
On the basis of the wise undertakings of the distinguished President, the consistent improvement of the legislation on elections and referendums renders great assistance in the organized holding elections in our country on the basis of democratic principles, in accordance with internationally accepted requirements.
In our country, the electoral rights of citizens are ensured in accordance with democratic principles on the basis of generally accepted international, democratic requirements of holding elections, the Constitution of Turkmenistan and the Electoral code of Turkmenistan.
In Independent, permanently Neutral Turkmenistan, many responsibilities are being implemented to improve national legal requirements, which provide one of the most important political rights of citizens - to elect and be elected, through a wide study of international experience in holding elections and varieties of the electoral system, as well as improving the electoral system in our country.
Modern improvement of the Electoral code of Turkmenistan governing relations related with the preparation and conduction of elections and referendums, as well as introducing amendments and additions to it, is one of the important duties of fully ensuring popular democracy.
As it known, the Electoral code of Turkmenistan was adopted on May 4, 2013 and is valid from July 1 of the same year.
The Electoral code of Turkmenistan consists of 17 sections, 3 chapters and 92 articles.
The Electoral code of Turkmenistan contains the procedure for holding elections and referendums, the corresponding legal guarantees of citizens, the national legislation for holding elections and referendums, as well as the broad sense of the rules of generally accepted norms of international law.
Within the events to improve the Electoral code of Turkmenistan in accordance with modern rules of generally accepted international norms, several changes and additions were made to it:
Namely, on August 16, 2014, October 15, 2016, January 28, 2017, November 25, 2017, June 9, 2018, December 1, 2018.
We briefly describe the content of some articles of the Electoral code of Turkmenistan, which were amended and supplemented:
– Article 4, “the elections of deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of the velayat, etrap, city Halk maslahaty and Gengeshes are held on the last Sunday of March”;
– Article 6, “The right to appoint national observers belongs to political parties, public associations, citizen groups and candidates”;
– Article 32, “the term of office of the velayat, etrap, city, settlement, gengeshlik, district and precinct election commissions is five years”;
– clause 5 of Article 38, “The number of voters in each constituency shall not exceed 10 percent, and in remote and inaccessible areas - 15 percent of the average number of voters in constituencies for the relevant elections”, as well as clause 6 of the same article “Constituencies are formed by the relevant election commissions no later than seventy days before the Election Day”;
– Article 44, “The right to nominate candidates belongs to political parties registered prior to the day of the elections, as well as groups of citizens.”
Also, in accordance with the law of Turkmenistan “On amending certain legislative acts of Turkmenistan”, several other relevant amendments and additions were made.
Election commissions for timely notification of members of the Central Election Commission, staff of the apparatus, election commissions about changes and additions made to the Electoral code of Turkmenistan, conducting training seminars, having widely discussed, carry out their work in accordance with established requirements.
Consistent improvement of the Electoral code of Turkmenistan and finding a modern, worthy presentation of the amendments and additions clearly demonstrates that in our country, elections are carried out on the basis of democratic principles and Turkmenistan is committed to generally accepted international requirements.
The main goal of improving the electoral legislation in our country is to ensure, on the basis of a broad democracy guarantees, governing relations related with the preparation and conduction of elections and referendums, as well as ensuring free expression of the will of citizens in elections and referendums.
All of the above demonstrates that as a result of the humanitarian undertakings of the distinguished President, large-scale and effective work is being carried out to further improve, at the modern level, the democratic principles of ensuring legal guarantees of citizens, including suffrage, as well as the strength of the political stability of our country.
We express our gratitude to Arkadag leading the people of Turkmenistan in a democratic way to a happy future, paying great attention to improvement of the electoral system.
We wish the distinguished President good health, longevity, high dignity, further prosperity in great affairs for the benefit of the people and the country.
Amangeldi Annadurdyev,
Secretary of the Central commission for holding elections and referendums in Turkmenistan.