International experts and representatives of credible organization to observe the parliamentary elections

The Central Commission on Elections and Referenda of Turkmenistan held a meeting on the preparations for the elections of the deputies of the 6th convocation, the members of the velayat, etrap and city Halk Maslakhaty and Gengesh. The meeting brought together the members of the Central Election Committee, political parties, public organisations as well as journalists. 

According to the electoral legislation and the Resolution of the Central Commission on Elections and Referenda of Turkmenistan, the nomination of candidates will take place on January 24 – February 22, 2018. The registration of candidates will be held on February 3-27. 

The meeting participants noted that the alternativeness of the upcoming elections is caused by the nomination of candidates, representing three parties and groups of citizens. This will offer a powerful incentive to the election campaign and will allow the electorate to nominate the right candidates to the parliament, local representative authorities and local government authorities. That is, besides the Democratic Party, which has become an active social and political force during the years of independence, the new parties will now apply for seats in the elected bodies - the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Agrarian Party, which has yet to realize their enormous potential. 

During the meeting, the members of the Central Election Committee informed those present on the work carried out in the regions of the country and Ashgabat in accordance with the programme on the preparation and organized conduct of the upcoming elections, which provides the widest range of activities at various levels, where an important role is given to the explanatory work among the population, as well as the results of training seminars for the members of velayat, etrap, city and district election commissions. 

One of the issues on the agenda of the meeting is the formation of polling stations under the diplomatic representations of Turkmenistan and the organization of their work for our compatriots who will be outside the country on the day of the election of the Mejlis deputies. Most of them are students, who get higher education in the universities in foreign countries. In this regard, the priority tasks on the detailed explanation of the importance of the current election campaign among the students in the light of the democratic reforms implemented in the country on the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, as well as on the compilation of voter lists and the voting procedures were specified during the meeting. 

Underlining the importance of holding the elections on a wide alternative basis, the meeting participants noted that the national observers from public organizations and political parties of the country, as well as the international experts and observers from many foreign countries and authoritative organizations, including the OSCE, the CIS among others will follow the campaign. 

The members of the Central Commission on Elections and Referenda of Turkmenistan assured that all necessary conditions would be created for holding the elections at the high organizational level, on an alternative basis, in a transparent atmosphere that allow candidates to openly present their electoral programmes, and the voters - to get acquainted with them, discuss and make conscious choices.