CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
Under the wise leadership of our honorable President each day of people who lives freely in the ancient turkmen land are focuses on to works for benefit of people and country, historical events, holidays.
Every year on May 18 in our beloved land the day of National flag and the Constitution of Turkmenistan which is our Basic Law is widely celebrated with unity, spirit, joy and great ceremony. May 18 is a significant date in our national calendar as the day of the Constitution of Turkmenistan and the State flag day. This day is a holiday celebrating our love and pride for our Independent, eternally Neutral Motherland. A holiday celebrating the glory of our sacred State flag and the Constitution, which embodies the beauty of life, the creative features of the nation and gather the wealth of the country encircles the symbol of statehood, infuses special feelings of pride into our hearts. Because our beautiful country has created a new history under our green banner and has become a model state of prosperity and development.
It is no coincidence that these two holidays are celebrated together. It has deep and historical meaning. The Constitution of our country guarantees the rights and freedoms of every citizen and expresses the state's high appreciation of universal values. Our Basic Law establishes the foundations of a democratic, legal and secular state while ensuring peace and unity in the society. If we equate Independent, permanent Neutral Turkmenistan with a happy bird, our Constitution and State flag are the double wings of that bird.
The Constitution and State flag of our Independent, permanent Neutral country are the proof of the glorious past of our dear Motherland, the guarantor of the present happy day and great future, it is our national value that recognizes the inviolability and eternity of our principles of national statehood. Our people are extremely proud of our Basic Law, which recognizes a person as the highest value of society and the state, and our State flag which is an important symbol of our national statehood.
There are about two hundred countries in the world. Each has its own flag. Those flags reveal the statehood and purpose of those nations. Since the beginning of mankind, there have been thousands, perhaps more, of flags on Earth. Most of them are history.
State flag of Turkmenistan! After passing through centuries and millennia, it is again waving on high. It is waving on high, and reminding that there is a great country in the world called Independent and Neutral Turkmenistan. The establishment of an Independent state, living in it in unity and harmony under our national flag is one of the wonderful dreams of our ancestors that have come true. The Constitution of Turkmenistan is the fundamental legal framework aimed at preserving our national values and interests, strengthening the country's Independence, sovereignty, and legal status of permanent Neutrality.
Adoption of the Constitution of Turkmenistan, which is one of the main values in the state structure in May 1992 was a remarkable event for the turkmen people. Over the past 31 years our Basic Law has legally formalized the statehood of our country, established the sovereignty of our people and laid the foundation for the rapid development of the state in all spheres of life.
In article 4 of the Constitution of Turkmenistan it marked that "The highest value of the society and the state in Turkmenistan is the person. Protecting, supporting and serving people is the main task of state authorities". This is connected with what our Hero Arkadag said wisely "The state is for people!" This is connected with what our esteemed President said wisely: "A country is only a country with its people!" A state is only a state with its people!"
Our esteemed President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in his speech at the inauguration ceremony: "It will be my main duty to protect the rights of our citizens guaranteed by the Constitution of our country. We will continue to ensure the humanitarian policy of our country to protect human rights and freedoms" he emphasized. As it turns out, the Constitution of Turkmenistan serves as the basis for the improvement of law and social life and provides an opportunity for the formation and development of civil society.
As you know, the Constitution of Turkmenistan was constantly modernized based on national principles and modern requirements. In particular, amendments and additions to the Constitution were made in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2016, 2020 and 2023 is another clear proof that Turkmenistan is a democratic, legal and secular state in accordance with the generally recognized norms of international law. Also, on September 14, 2016, the planned version of the Constitution of Turkmenistan was adopted.
The Constitution of Turkmenistan states: "The symbols of the sovereign state of Turkmenistan are the State Flag, the State emblem, the State anthm." High respect for state symbols, attitude towards them and pride is a tradition of the turkmen people inherited from centuries. Putting the hand on the heart and performing our State anthem, the lines: "My flag is high in front of the world" confirm the boundless love for our Motherland. As we know, the respect of the Constitution of Turkmenistan and the State flag of Turkmenistan is justified by the Constitution building built in the capital and our State flag which proudly hangs on the tall flag pole entered in the Guinness book of World records.
When we say the flag, the purpose and memory of our brave men who sacrificed their sweet lives for every part of our Motherland is remembered. Our forefathers have a wise saying that "People are known from their culture, and the country is from their flag". Our flag is sacred which is created from turkmen nationality, history and culture. In our flag, the past, the present day, the bright future, the beautiful nature of our country, the turkmen carpet which is the elegance of the sky come to life in our eyes, and a wonderful dream of Magtymguly Pyragy is reflected in it - the sacred Independence and eternal Neutrality of turkmen.
Today, our State flag which is our national pride is waving around the world as an indelible symbol of the Revival of the new epoch of the Powerful state, a clear sign of our friendly and good relations. In the year declared as "a year of happy youth with Arkadag Serdar" our happy people celebrate the 31st anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of Turkmenistan and the establishment of the State flag. This has become a proud proof that our happy nation which is firmly gathered around our esteemed President attaches special importance to this date in our new historical period.
In the new historical period, the harbinger of new successes and victories of our Motherland is our State flag which is waving from high to high. May, the life of our esteemed President who leads our people to a peaceful and happy life under our proudly waving green flag will be long, healthy, good deeds for the benefit of people and country will always prosper!
Hekimberdi Ovezov,
a secretary-referent of apparatus of the Commission for holding Elections and referendums in Turkmenistan.