CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
On March 12, 2022 elections of the President of Turkmenistan were held in our country. The elections were organized, and held in a state of high voter turnout.
A total of 2,618 polling stations have been established for conduct the voting at the elections, including 41 polling stations established with diplomatic missions and consulates of Turkmenistan abroad.
In accordance with the electoral code, the right to nominate candidates belongs to political parties and groups of citizens.
In accordance with article 44 of the Electoral code of Turkmenistan, nominations for the Presidential elections of Turkmenistan lasted from February 14 to 21, 2022.
On the elections of the President of Turkmenistan 3 of candidates were nominated by political parties, 6 candidates were nominated by initiative groups, and all 9 nominated candidates were registered.
More specifically:
1. Perhat Guvanchgulyyevich Begenjov, director of the Lebap velayat financial and economic secondary school,
2. Agajan Bekmyradov, deputy governor of Mary velayat, was nominated by the Agrarian party of Turkmenistan;
3. Serdar Gurbangulyyevich Berdimuhamedov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan by the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan;
4. Berdimammet Hanmammedovich Gurbanov, chief physician of "Avaza" sanatorium of the ministry of Health and medical industry of Turkmenistan;
5. Babamyrat Tirkeshovich Meredov, director of "Wepaly gurlushyk" economic society, was nominated by the Industrialists and entrepreneurs party of Turkmenistan;
6. Hydyr Kakabayevich Nunnayev, vice-rector for scientific works of Turkmen state institute of physical culture and sports;
7. Maksat Myradovich Odeshov, chairman of the Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy etrap committee of the Democratic party of Turkmenistan;
8. Maksatmyrat Ashyrgeldiyevich Ovezgeldiyev, head of the Sanitation and disease control service of Babadayhan etrap of Ahal velayat;
9. Kakageldi Atajanovich Saryev, director of the research and production center "Renewable energy sources" of the State energy institute of Turkmenistan was nominated.
Candidates were registered from 15 to 22 February 2022.
Pre-election preaching works for registered candidates began on February 21, 2022 and ended on March 10, 2022. Candidates met with voters in all velayats of Turkmenistan, in Ashgabat city, on equal terms, presented their programs, answered on questions of interested of voters.
All candidates were given the opportunity to conduct their preaching works free of charge on equal conditions. The candidates made speeches on the radio and TV channels with their programs equally. Their photos, biographies, and programs were published in the central newspapers in turkmen and russian languages and distributed to readers.
Various videos have been produced explaining the voting process and were available to the public on television and radio.
In order to ensure that elections are held in a transparent and democratic manner, election news on the website of the Central Election Commission of Turkmenistan (saylav.gov.tm) has been regularly reported to the public.
On the "Turkmenistan: Altyn asyr" website of the State news agency of Turkmenistan regularly published news related with elections in 3 languages, Turkmen, English and Russian.
All polling stations were equipped with one-size booths and ballot boxes in order to ensure that voters cast their ballots on an equal footing.
A special invitation was sent to each voter by precinct election commissions to inform voters of the time and place of the vote.
Voters who could not be held in their constituency on election day had the opportunity to cast their ballots from March 2 to 11, and 7.97 percent of voters across the country voting in advance.
Voting was held at the home of voters who could not come to the polling station on election day for health reasons and other reasons.
Elections were held in a multi-party environment and on a universal, equal, direct, secret, free and fair and on a competitive basis.
All expenses related to the preparation and conduct of the elections of the President of Turkmenistan are financed from the State budget of Turkmenistan.
The election was monitored by 2,726 national observers appointed by Turkmenistan's political parties, public associations, groups of citizens and candidates.
The elections were observed by international observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Organization of Turkic States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as the Russian Federation, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Uzbekistan, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Turkey, Islamic Republic of Iran.
At the same time, international observers and experts appointed by the diplomatic missions of international organizations in Turkmenistan and the embassies of foreign countries in Turkmenistan got acquainted with the democratic conduct of the elections.
While the members of the group observers are in Turkmenistan, they had opportunity to get acquainted with the work carried out in all velayats of the country and in the city of Ashgabat in the framework of electoral legislation, to hold meetings with members of the election commission, candidates, their trustees and voters. In general, leaders of the observers’ group noted that the elections in Turkmenistan were held on an organized, broad democratic and alternative basis. International observers also noted that voters were very active in the election.
Foreign mass media outlets working and registered in Turkmenistan took part in the coverage of the elections.
A total of 3,460,080 voters were registered in the Presidential election in Turkmenistan.
Also, 98944 of them are eighteen years old who votes for the first time, 69090 are over seventy years old aged people, 14,609 are voters who cannot come to the polls on their own due to illness.
On the elections of the President of Turkmenistan voted 97.68% in Ahal velayat, 97.29% in Balkan velayat, 96.80% in Dashoguz velayat, 97.13% in Lebap velayat, 96.97% in Mary velayat and 97.51% in Ashgabat city. A total of 3,460,080 voters in Turkmenistan, 3,362,052 voted, 97.17% turnout.
The Central Election Commission of Turkmenistan has recognized that the election of the President of Turkmenistan was held in accordance with the Law on March 12, 2022, from 7:00 to 19:00 o'clock in all 2618 polling stations.
Complaints about the preparation works of the elections and its conduct have not been received.
Votes were counted after the polls were completed 12 march at 7 pm last night.
According to the results of the voting:
- Perhat Guvanchgulyyevich Begenjov, director of the Lebap velayat financial and economic secondary school 2,02%;
- Agajan Bekmyradov, deputy governor of Mary velayat 7,22%;
- Serdar Gurbangulyyevich Berdimuhamedov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan 72,97;
- Berdimammet Hanmammedovich Gurbanov, chief physician of "Avaza" sanatorium of the ministry of Health and medical industry of Turkmenistan 2,22%;
- Babamyrat Tirkeshovich Meredov, director of "Wepaly gurlushyk" economic society 1,08%;
- Hydyr Kakabayevich Nunnayev, vice-rector for scientific works of Turkmen state institute of physical culture and sports 11,09%;
- Maksat Myradovich Odeshov, chairman of the Dashoguz velayat, Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy etrap committee of the Democratic party of Turkmenistan 1.15%;
- Maksatmyrat Ashyrgeldiyevich Ovezgeldiyev, head of the Sanitation and disease control service of Babadayhan etrap of Ahal velayat 1,16%;
- Kakageldi Atajanovich Saryyev, director of the research and production center "Renewable energy sources" of the State energy institute of Turkmenistan received 1.09% of the vote.
In accordance with the Resolution, adopted at the final meeting of the Central Election Commission on March 14, 2022 and with Article 76 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, the candidate Serdar Gurbanguliyevich Berdimuhamedov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan who had received votes – 72.97 per cent, was recognised as the President-elect of Turkmenistan.