A meeting of the Central Commission for holding elections and referenda in Turkmenistan was held today, having summed up the results of the nationwide elections of the deputies of Mejlis, members of the velayat, etrap and city halk maslahaty and Gengeshes.
As emphasized, the current elections were held on the principles of alternativeness, publicity and openness, having become a confirmation of Turkmenistan's commitment to the democratic path of development and the course of progressive reforms successfully implemented under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in the era of the Revival of a new era of a powerful state.
All stages of the election campaign were organized in a timely manner, in accordance with the requirements of the current national legislation and generally accepted international standards. Voting was conducted at 2602 polling stations in the territories of the electoral districts. The voting of citizens of Turkmenistan abroad was also organized. At the embassies and consular offices of Turkmenistan, 42 polling stations were opened, which were attended by thousands of our compatriots who were outside the country at that time.
A characteristic feature of the current socio-political action is the high activity of voters both during the election campaign and on voting day. According to the CEC, 91.12 percent of citizens of Turkmenistan who have the right to vote voted in the elections for deputies of the Mejlis, members of the halk maslahaty and Gengeshes.
Turning to the main issue on the agenda of today's meeting - summing up the final results of the elections - it was announced that, according to information based on the protocols of the capital and velayat election commissions, the following were elected throughout the country:
- out of 258 candidates - 125 deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan of the new convocation;
- out of 2 thousand 516 candidates - 240 members of the velayat and 960 etrap and city halk maslahaty;
- out of 12 thousand 98 candidates - 5 thousand 897 members of the Gengeshes.
In all electoral districts, two or more candidates ran for one mandate.
Among the elected deputies, members of the halk maslahaty and Gengeshes, there are 3,320 representatives of the Democratic Party, 304 – of the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, 1,513 – of the Agrarian Party, and 2,085 – of independent groups of citizens.
At the meeting of the CEC, the lists of elected deputies of the Mejlis, as well as members of the halk maslahaty and Gengeshes, which, in accordance with the provisions of the legislation in force in the country, will be published in the media in the coming days, were considered and approved.
The heads of the capital and velayat election commissions, who spoke, stated the high educational and professional level of the people's representatives, represented by Turkmen citizens of various nationalities. Among them are employees of state institutions, leading specialists in the sectors of the economy, education and science, culture and art, and agricultural workers. The increase in the participation of women in the political life of the country was especially noted.
The meeting participants stated that the elections were held in an organized manner, in accordance with the legislation in force in the country and generally accepted norms of international law.
The popular vote, which took place last Sunday in an atmosphere of genuine freedom of expression of citizens, crowned a three-month marathon of the election campaign, all stages of which were closely monitored by foreign observers and experts - representatives of the Mission of Observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as members of the delegation of the Bureau for Democratic Institutions and human rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Turkic States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Full monitoring of all stages of the electoral process was carried out by about 3 thousand national observers, including representatives of political parties, public organizations and associations, groups of citizens who confirmed that the elections were held at a high organizational level, without significant violations.
During the meeting, gratitude was once again expressed to those present and to all participants in the past election process, including media representatives who professionally carried out objective information support of the current election campaign, for its organization and responsible attitude, all possible assistance in further strengthening the democratic foundations of the state.
In conclusion, stating the progressive nature of the democratic transformations taking place today in Turkmenistan in the best national traditions of democracy, the participants noted the progressiveness and far-sightedness of the policy pursued in this direction by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who gave this process a new dynamic.