CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
In 2018, three types of elections will be held, that is elections of deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of Halk Maslahaty and Gengeshes. These elections, being an important socio-political event in the development of the country, will go down in history. We asked the secretary of the Central Election Commission, Amangeldy Gandymov, to tell us what preparations are being made by the Central Commission for Holding Elections and Referendums in Turkmenistan to organize these important public events. Then he told us the following:
Currently, in our country, as a result of the support of the activity of the electoral system supported by the President, a good experience has been gained in the organized conduct of elections, in accordance with the law and international requirements.
To conduct democratic elections, it is necessary to create perfect legislation. In this regard, it should be separately noted that we have the international norms for the conduct of democratic elections that have absorbed the Constitution of Turkmenistan and the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan. The basic law outlines the general rules for holding elections. And the electoral code details the procedure for organizing and holding elections.
In our country, the most important task facing the election commissions is the organized conduct of elections in accordance with the Constitution of Turkmenistan, the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, international standards, on a democratic and competitive basis.
Already, we have actively begun preparations for the 2018 elections. Preparation of regulations, memos and manuals for election commissions, national and international observers, candidates and their proxies, representatives of the media began. These publications prepared in accordance with the Constitution of Turkmenistan and the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan will facilitate the conduct of elections in an organized and law-based manner.
Elections of the deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, the members of the Halk Maslahaty and Gengeshes are conducted on the basis of the majority system and in single-mandate constituencies. That is, one person is elected for each constituencies.
In the elections of the deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, 125 constituencies with an equal number of voters are formed.
In the election of members Halk maslahaty of the velayats, 40 constituencies are formed with an equal number of voters in the respective territory, and for the election of members Halk Maslahaty of the etraps and cities, 20 constituencies with an equal number of voters of the corresponding territory are formed.
In the election of members of the Gengeshes, from 5 to 15 constituencies with equal number of voters of the corresponding territory are formed.
The number of voters in each constituency should not exceed 10 percent, and in remote and hard-to-reach localities, 15 percent of the average number of voters in the districts by appropriate election. Compliance with these requirements, the percentage difference in the number of voters in constituencies, will ensure equal conditions for the elections to be held in 2018.
In these elections, members of the Halk Maslahaty will be elected for a period of 5 years.
Actually, the increase in the term of office of the members of the Halk Maslahaty from 4 to 5 years, and the term of office of the members of the Gengeshes from 3 to 5 years, speaks of the immense importance that is paid to the work of representative organizations. And this testifies to the triumph of democracy and democracy in our country.
Amangeldy Gandymov, we are grateful to you for the informative talk about the preparatory work for the elections to be held in 2018 and we wish you to organize these political events in an organized manner.
Agadurdy AKMYRADOV,
journalist.