CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
In our independent, permanent Neutral country, under the leadership of our esteemed President, much attention is paid to further democratizing our society and improving the functioning of the electoral system.
As the President of Turkmenistan noted in a meaningful speech at a meeting with the deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan this year on February 25, elections of members of Milli Gengesh of Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan are completely different from the previous ones, and so-called indirect elections to be hold for the first time in our country.
As the elections of members of Halk Maslahaty of Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan is different from the previous ones, so the ballot papers to be used in this elections are different from the ballot papers of other elections.
The voting procedure shall be regulated in accordance with the articles 50(11) and 70 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan.
In the elections of the members of Halk Maslahaty of Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan all the registered candidates for the velayats and the city of Ashgabat are included in the electoral ballot paper entered in alphabet order, it specifies the surname, first name, patronymic, place of employment, position (occupation) and place of residence of each candidate.
The number of ballot papers printed for backup in the election of members of Halk Maslahaty of Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan shall not exceed fifteen percent of the total number of ballot papers.
Ballot papers are delivered to the voting-room/place at least ten days before the elections. The ballot papers are documents related to strict reporting, so when the ballot papers are handed over to the lower electoral commission by the higher electoral commission, a certificate is issued in accordance with the approved copy. The procedure for the preparation, delivery and reporting of ballot papers are determined by the Central Election Commission.
In the elections of the President of Turkmenistan, as well as in the elections of deputies of the Mejlis of Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan, members of the velayat, etrap, city halk maslahaty and members of Gengeshes the voters mark the name of only one of the candidates in the ballot paper, in the elections of members of Halk Maslahaty of Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan, each of the members of the velayat, Ashgabat city halk maslahaty marks the surnames of the eight candidates.
In order to ensure that all ballot papers are genuine, that is, in their original form, on the ballot paper is placed the symbol (emblem) of the Central Election Commission and on the back of the ballot papers are signed and stamped by the chairman and secretary of the velayat, Ashgabat city election commission.
For the convenience of voting, the transcript of the ballot paper is concise and clear.
After the publication of the ballot papers for the election of the members of Halk Maslahaty of Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan, in the case that the candidate included in it leaves, the election commission that registered the candidate decides to register in the ballot paper.
Based on the decision of the higher election commission, velayat, Ashgabat city election commission draws a straight line in the prescribed manner the information about the outgoing candidate on the ballot paper.
Election commissions are responsible for keeping ballot papers.
Once the ballot papers are brought to the voting-room/place, they are stored in an iron safe and the queue is set up.
The stored places of electoral ballot papers are in compliance with technical and fire safety requirements.
After the voting is over, unused ballot papers are not to be used by cutting a corner marked with a special line at the bottom of it.
The ballot papers are canceled in the prescribed manner after two months of the recognition of the powers of the members of Halk Maslahaty of Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan.
Jahan Orazova,
main specialist of Organizational management of apparatus
of the Commission for holding Elections and referendums inTurkmenistan.