CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
During the revival of the new epoch of the state our Hero Arkadagly Serdar pays special attention and support to the electoral system. In this regard, we are particularly proud of the wise statement of the esteemed President: “We will develop measures to improve the political and legal foundations of the Turkmen state and society, deepen national democracy, develop civil society, increase the political activity of our people, promote the development of the electoral system, expand activities to enrich world experience in this area.”
Elections in the country are held freely, democratically and on a competitive basis. The main goal of elections – is to nominate and elect worthy candidates in any elections held. In accordance with Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, during the election campaign in Turkmenistan, candidates are nominated freely and equally, on the basis of publicity and openness, freedom of speech and equal opportunities for all candidates. In accordance with Article 44 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, the right to nominate candidates belongs to political parties registered on election day, as well as groups of citizens, including:
– A candidate for President of Turkmenistan may be a citizen of Turkmenistan, born in Turkmenistan, at least forty years old, fluent in the state language and permanently residing and working in Turkmenistan for the past fifteen years;
– A candidate for deputy of the Mejlis may be a citizen of Turkmenistan who has reached the age of twenty-five by the day of the election and has permanently resided in Turkmenistan for the past ten years;
– Citizens of Turkmenistan who have reached the age of twenty-one by the election day and reside in the corresponding territory of the velayat, city with the rights of the velayat, city of national importance, etrap and city with the rights of etrap may be nominated as candidates for membership in the Halk Maslahaty and Gengesh.
In accordance with Article 45 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, political parties of our country have right to nominate:
– candidates for President of Turkmenistan at their congresses;
– candidates for deputies of the Mejlis at meetings (congresses, conferences and general assemblies) of their central, velayat, city with the right of velayat and city of state significance, etrap, city with the right of etrap and city organizations;
– candidates for membership in the Halk Maslahaty of the velayat, city with the rights of the velayat and city of state significance, etrap, city with the rights of the etrap at meetings of velayat, city with the rights of the velayat and city of state significance, etrap, city with the rights of the etrap organizations;
– candidates for membership in the Gengesh are presented at meetings of etrap, city with etrap rights and primary organizations.
There are also rules for nominating candidates by groups of citizens. According to Article 46 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, when nominating a candidate for President of Turkmenistan by groups of citizens, it is must to collect signatures of at least ten thousand voters. The collection of signatures – is organized by the initiative group of the nominated candidate and carried out in accordance with Electoral Code of Turkmenistan.
In accordance with article 47 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, a meeting of a group of citizens to nominate candidates for deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of the Halk Maslahaty of a velayat, cities with the rights of a velayat and cities of state significance is considered competent, if at least one person is present at the meeting of a group of citizens to nominate candidates for the Halk maslahaty of the city of etrap, cities with the rights of etrap and cities of state significance less than two hundred voters residing in the territory of the relevant electoral district and at a meeting of a group of citizens to nominate candidates for members of the Gengesh – at least fifty voters residing in the territory of the relevant electoral district.
Each voter has right to participate in only one meeting of a group of citizens. This rule applies to meetings held to nominate candidates for membership in a representative body of the same level. Participants in the meeting are subject to registration, with the registration list indicating the last name, first name, patronymic, date of birth and place of residence of each voter. Each voter signs in the registration list.
If more than half of the participants of the meeting held to nominate the candidate vote for the candidate, this candidate is considered nominated.
In accordance with Article 48 of the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, candidates are registered by the relevant election commissions. Registration begins fifty days before elections and ends twenty-five days before elections.
If a candidate – is a member of an electoral commission, his/her powers in the commission are suspended from the moment of registration, and if he/she is an observer, then from the moment of registration he/she is considered to have left the commission or the powers of the observer are terminated.
If candidates have dropped out after nomination period has expired or only one candidate remains in the constituency, relevant electoral commission in accordance with Article 50 of the Electoral Code, approaches the political party organizations and voters of the constituency with a proposal to nominate new candidates.
If candidates withdraw less than twenty days before election, elections in the relevant constituency shall be held within two months from the date of the scheduled election.
The nomination of candidates to replace those who have dropped out carried out in accordance with procedure established by the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan.
Political parties and citizen groups play a particularly important role in organizing and holding elections in accordance with democratic principles. The fact that various types of elections in Turkmenistan are held on a multi-party basis, that is, with participation of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, Agrarian Party of Turkmenistan, as well as citizen groups, indicates that the elections are held on the basis of democratic principles, openly and transparently, on a broad competitive basis, in accordance with international standards and testifies to the triumph of democracy and people’s power in our country.
We wish our Hero Arkadag and our Hero Arkadagly Serdar, who carry out important tasks of state significance for the prosperity of the Motherland, good health, long life and high dignity!
Dinmuhammet Annacharyyev,
Main specialist of Organizational management of the Central commission for holding elections and referendums in Turkmenistan.