CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
According to the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, elections – are a socio-political event held regularly within the established timeframes and including not only one election campaign, but also pre-election and post-election events. According to international experience, electoral process is divided into three stages:
1) pre-election events;
2) events during the election campaign;
3) events after the end of the election campaign.
If we talk about stages of the election campaign conducted in our country, they are as follows:
1. Pre-election events include the preparation of a draft budget and plan of election activities, as well as draft election documents and guidelines, memos, regulations, an analysis of the composition of election commissions, determination of the approximate number of electoral districts and polling stations, the number of voters, as well as adoption of a resolution on the appointment of elections.
2. Events during election campaign include, in particular, announcement of the start of the election campaign, the publication of relevant legislative acts and documents, the holding of training seminars, the determination of the boundaries of electoral districts and polling stations and their formation, registration of international and national observers, initiative groups, observation of elections, nomination and registration of candidates, campaigning, compilation of voter lists, equipping of polling stations, conduct of voting, summing up of the voting results and announcement of their results.
3. Post-election campaign events include assessment of the electoral process, registration of the elected President of Turkmenistan, elected deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, elected members of velayat, etrap, city Halk Maslahaty and Gengeshes, destruction of ballots, conducting checks and analysis of the use of funds allocated for preparation and organization of elections, archiving of election documentation, as well as increasing capacity of election commissions and improving their work.
Of course, it is also worth noting that each new election in our country is characterized by new achievements in terms of organization, legislation, transparency, digital systems, democracy and activity of women and youth.
In order to improve national experience in this area, Central commission for holding elections and referendums in Turkmenistan cooperates with the Representative Office of the United Nations Development Programme in Turkmenistan, Ashgabat Center of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States and friendly countries and also studies international experience.
Amangeldi Gandymov,
Deputy chairman of the Central commission for holding elections and referendums in Turkmenistan.