CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
(As of March 12, 2023.)
In the reforms carried out under the wise leadership of our esteemed President, a special place is given to improving the political system and democratizing all aspects of state and social life.
Being a full-fledged member of the World union, Turkmenistan today carries out effective work on deepening democratic principles. The pace of work aimed at further democratizing the social and political life of the country and introducing modern methods of elections is increasing day by day.
These days preparations for one more important socio-political event in the country - the elections of deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of halk maslahats and gengeshes are widely spread. The elections will be held on March 26, 2023, Sunday, based on the decision of Mejlis of Turkmenistan dated on January 12, 2023.
In accordance with the decision of apparatus of the Commission for holding Elections and referendums in Turkmenistan, the election season for the elections of deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of halk maslahats and gengeshes started on January 16, 2023.
The elections will be held on the state of activity of citizens of Turkmenistan, of the three political parties of our country, i.e. on a competitive basis with the participation of the Democratic party of Turkmenistan, the party of Industrialists and entrepreneurs and the Agrarian party.
These political parties actively participate in the elections which held in our country, in accordance with the Election code of Turkmenistan, they use the right to nominate candidates in the elections of President of Turkmenistan, deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of halk maslahats and gengeshes, appoint the national observers, and present representatives to election commissions. This shows that political parties are strengthening their position in society.
In order to organize the elections of deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, which is the representative body that exercises the legislative power in Turkmenistan, the members of halk maslahats, which are the local representative bodies of the state power, as well as the members of gengeshes, which are the local self-government bodies, 125 constituencies for the elections of deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, 40 constituencies in each of the velayats and Ashgabat city for the elections of velayat halk maslahats, a total of 240 constituencies were established in our country, there are 49 etraps and cities with etrap rights in our country, and 960 districts were established for the elections of members of etrap and city halk maslahats, 5897 constituencies were established for the elections of members of gengeshes which will be held in 572 gengeshes.
According to the Election code of Turkmenistan, information about the numbers, names, centers and boundaries of constituencies for the elections of deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan can be found in "Turkmenistan", "Нейтральный Туркменистан" newspapers, on the website of Central election commission (saylav.gov.tm), and information about the boundaries and centers of constituencies for the elections of members of velayat halk maslahats were published in the newspapers of the velayats of our country and brought to the public's attention.
Information and news about upcoming elections are regularly posted on the website of Central election commission of Turkmenistan (saylav.gov.tm).
The elections of deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of halk maslahats and gengeshes are organized by Central election commission, velayats’, Ashgabat city election commissions, etrap, city election commissions, district election commissions, gengeshlik election commissions, as well as precinct election commissions. The term of office of all election commissions are five years.
The Central election commission prepared 12 manuals and memos, some of them were published in two languages - Turkmen, Russian, and some them are in three languages - Turkmen, English, Russian. The manuals are intended for the election commissions at various levels of our country, representatives of mass media, international and national observers, and other interested compatriots.
As a part of the organization preparation works for the elections, a number of videos explaining the voting procedure have been prepared and they will be broadcast to the public through television channels.
The mass media of our country regularly provide news, programs, and articles about the preparations for the elections of deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of halk maslahats and Gengeshes.
Till today a total of 2,644 polling stations have been established: including 365 in Ahal velayat, 272 in Balkan velayat, 536 in Dashoguz velayat, 567 in Lebap velayat, 550 in Mary velayat, and 312 in Ashgabat. Also, 42 polling stations were established near diplomatic missions (consular offices) of Turkmenistan abroad.
13078 voters will vote abroad. By March 12, 2023, 3,496,475 voters were registered in our country.
The work is being carried out with the agency "Türkmenaragatnaşyk" to equip 240 polling stations with video cameras. The vote will be broadcast live on the website of Central election commission on March 26 from 7:00 am to 19:00/7:00 pm.
On February and March of this year, experts of Central election commission, deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, representatives of political parties, social organizations held training sessions with the members of velayats’, etrap’, gengeshliks’, precincts’ election commissions.
The conduction of elections on a democratic manner will be under the watchful eye of the public of our country. Till now, 2855 national observers have been appointed by political parties and public associations. Among them, 594 national observers are from the Democratic party, 307 from the Industrialists and entrepreneurs party, 408 from the Agrarian party, 600 from the Trade unions, 302 from the Women's organization, 570 from the Youth organization, 21 from citizen groups, and 53 are candidates’ nominated representatives. The ID cards were handed out to registered national observers.
Representatives of the United Nations Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Organization of Turkic States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the bureau of Human rights and democratic institutions will monitor whether the elections are held on an open, transparent, democratic basis. Also, will come representatives of mass media from foreign countries.
The long-term working group of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the expert group of the OSCE of the bureau for Democratic institutions and human rights began monitoring the preparations for the elections in the first half of March.
The Democratic party of Turkmenistan, the party of Industrialists and entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, the Agrarian party of Turkmenistan, and the groups of citizens participated in the work of nominating candidates for the elections of deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of velayat, etrap and city halk maslahats, as well as members of Gengeshes. Nominations began on January 25 this year and ended on February 24. Registration of candidates were held from February 4 to 28. 258 candidates were registered for the deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, 515 for the membership of the velayat and Ashgabat city halk maslahats, 2001 for the membership of the etrap and city halk maslahats, and 12098 for the membership of Gengeshes.
14,872 candidates were nominated for all elections and registered within the stipulated time.
These numbers indicate that two and three candidates will compete for one place in the March 26 elections.
A total of 175 candidates were nominated and registered by political parties and 83 by citizens' groups for the elections of deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan. More specifically:
97 by the Democratic party of Turkmenistan;
27 by the party of Industrialists and entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan;
51 by the Agrarian party of Turkmenistan;
83 people were nominated by citizens groups as candidates for the deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan.
Information about registered candidates were published in the pages of the central newspapers on March 3 and 4 of this year in Turkmen and Russian languages and brought to attention of the voters. Also, biographies and photos of all candidates were be published in the pages of the central newspapers in Turkmen and Russian languages in the first half of March this year.
Pre-election preaching works of registered candidates started from the time of their registration.
All conditions have been created for voting in the polling stations. The color of the ballot papers for the elections of deputies of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, for the members of velayat halk maslahats, for the members of etrap and city halk maslahats, and for the members of gengeshes will be different from each other. Secret voting booths and three types of ballot boxes have been prepared.
An early voting option has been created for voters who cannot be at their place of residence on elections day. Early voting will begin on March 16, ten days before the elections day.
The number of voters over the age of seventy is 75,500. Voters who cannot come to the polling station due to disability will be given the opportunity to vote at their place of residence.
There are 75,606 young voters who will turn 18 till elections day and will vote for the first time, the souvenirs will be given to them in "the year of Happy youth with Arkadag Serdar".
Elections in our country will be held in accordance with international norms, national laws and democratic principles from our ancestors. The organized holding of elections in accordance with democratic principles, on the basis of multipartyism, in conditions of wide competition will be another clear proof that all conditions are created for our citizens to use their rights to choose and be elected.
Central Election Commission.