The formation of the CIS Observation Mission for the election of the President of Turkmenistan completed. The Mission consists of 63 observers from the Azerbaijan Republic, the Republic of Armenia, Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ukraine, the Interparliamentary Assemblyof Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarusian-Russian Union, the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The CIS observers state that a high level of organization and congruence in the work of election commissions was ensured at the preparation stage of the election. The measures within the election campaign took place in a calm atmosphere.
The Mission positively evaluates the measures taken by the government, including local authorities, the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of Turkmenistan for ensuring free, fair and democratic elections.
Five velayat election commissions and the Ashgabat election commission, 71 election commissions in etraps and cities and 2,307 election commissions were formed within legally required time.
To provide assistance to election commissions in ensuring the uniform enforcement of the Law the methodological and training manuals were published by the Central Commission for Election and Referenda, workshops and trainings were conducted to clarify the procedures for conducting the stages of the election process.
The common format is used to publish the information about all presidential candidates that was easily accessible to citizens at the polling places.
Members of election commission are carrying out the explanatory work for voters. Election commissions provide every voter with the information about all candidates and access to the statutory acts and methodological materials on the election process.
In assistance to the election organizers and participants the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda prepared and published the booklets on the presidential nominating process and other methodological materials for initiative groups and members of mass media.
Election commissions made special efforts to reach the young voters who would be exercising their vote for the first time. For these purposes members of election commissions are holding meetings to explain their rights and obligations as citizens of Turkmenistan and eligible voters and the importance of their active involvement in life of the state and society to youth.
The voter lists have been prepared meticulously. They were drawn up for each polling station and signed by the chairman and secretary of the divisional election commission. Local authorities and local governments submitted the information about the voters residing in the territory to election commission.
Members of election commissions involved public organisations and civil registration agencies in these activities to clarify the information on voters.
Voters were informed by election commissions about the date and polling place.
The voter lists at election commissions were easily accessible to the citizens after January 29, 2012.
According to the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda, About 3 million voters are included in the voter lists.
According to the CIS observers, the procedure for drawing up and clarifying voter lists guarantees realization of the general suffrage principle.
Election commissions have the offices most suitable for organizing the vote that are adequately equipped with communications facilities and office equipment, reference and methodological materials and legal acts.
Observers stress "openness and transparency in the activity of election commissions, as well as the desire of the commission members to hold elections at the highest organizational level".
The Mission observers freely visit the election commissions, receive the necessary information and data on the course of the election campaign, meet with the authorized representatives of presidential candidates, voters and representatives of local authorities and local government.
According to the Constitution, political parties, public associations and groups of citizen are eligible to nominate presidential candidates. a presidential candidate may be a citizen of and born in Turkmenistan, aged at least 40 and no older than 70 years, know the official language, have resided in Turkmenistan over the past fifteen years and have worked in state bodies, public associations, enterprises, institutions and organisations.
The Central Commission for Elections and Referenda registered eight presidential candidates. Six of them were nominated by public organisations and associations, and another two candidates – by initiative groups.
The nomination and registration of presidential candidates were held in accordance with the Law, in an atmosphere of openness and transparency.
All the legal requirements were met in nomination and approval of candidates. There was openness and transparency throughout the process.
The election campaign has been launched on the date of registration of presidential candidates.
All the candidates had equal opportunity to run their election campaign that is an essential element of democratic elections.
The pre-election campaign is carried out within the electoral law and ethic norms, in the correct form, given the national mentality and traditions.
The Central Commission for Elections and Referenda informs of the date and timing of the meetings of the electorate with the presidential candidates in advance through the print media.
The course of the election campaign is widely covered in Turkmenistan through the mass media. The reports on the meetings of the presidential candidates with the voters are published under the heading “The Elections” in the newspapers Turkmenistan and Neutral Turkmenistan. The national TV channels broadcast the reels on he procedure of voting. Full and thorough coverage of the main stages of the presidential election campaign is given in the print media on a regular basis.
The CIS Observer Mission will present final conclusions and evaluation of the results of monitoring of the election campaign in Turkmenistan in its final document after the elections.
The CIS observers state that a high level of organization and congruence in the work of election commissions was ensured at the preparation stage of the election. The measures within the election campaign took place in a calm atmosphere.
The Mission positively evaluates the measures taken by the government, including local authorities, the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of Turkmenistan for ensuring free, fair and democratic elections.
Five velayat election commissions and the Ashgabat election commission, 71 election commissions in etraps and cities and 2,307 election commissions were formed within legally required time.
To provide assistance to election commissions in ensuring the uniform enforcement of the Law the methodological and training manuals were published by the Central Commission for Election and Referenda, workshops and trainings were conducted to clarify the procedures for conducting the stages of the election process.
The common format is used to publish the information about all presidential candidates that was easily accessible to citizens at the polling places.
Members of election commission are carrying out the explanatory work for voters. Election commissions provide every voter with the information about all candidates and access to the statutory acts and methodological materials on the election process.
In assistance to the election organizers and participants the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda prepared and published the booklets on the presidential nominating process and other methodological materials for initiative groups and members of mass media.
Election commissions made special efforts to reach the young voters who would be exercising their vote for the first time. For these purposes members of election commissions are holding meetings to explain their rights and obligations as citizens of Turkmenistan and eligible voters and the importance of their active involvement in life of the state and society to youth.
The voter lists have been prepared meticulously. They were drawn up for each polling station and signed by the chairman and secretary of the divisional election commission. Local authorities and local governments submitted the information about the voters residing in the territory to election commission.
Members of election commissions involved public organisations and civil registration agencies in these activities to clarify the information on voters.
Voters were informed by election commissions about the date and polling place.
The voter lists at election commissions were easily accessible to the citizens after January 29, 2012.
According to the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda, About 3 million voters are included in the voter lists.
According to the CIS observers, the procedure for drawing up and clarifying voter lists guarantees realization of the general suffrage principle.
Election commissions have the offices most suitable for organizing the vote that are adequately equipped with communications facilities and office equipment, reference and methodological materials and legal acts.
Observers stress "openness and transparency in the activity of election commissions, as well as the desire of the commission members to hold elections at the highest organizational level".
The Mission observers freely visit the election commissions, receive the necessary information and data on the course of the election campaign, meet with the authorized representatives of presidential candidates, voters and representatives of local authorities and local government.
According to the Constitution, political parties, public associations and groups of citizen are eligible to nominate presidential candidates. a presidential candidate may be a citizen of and born in Turkmenistan, aged at least 40 and no older than 70 years, know the official language, have resided in Turkmenistan over the past fifteen years and have worked in state bodies, public associations, enterprises, institutions and organisations.
The Central Commission for Elections and Referenda registered eight presidential candidates. Six of them were nominated by public organisations and associations, and another two candidates – by initiative groups.
The nomination and registration of presidential candidates were held in accordance with the Law, in an atmosphere of openness and transparency.
All the legal requirements were met in nomination and approval of candidates. There was openness and transparency throughout the process.
The election campaign has been launched on the date of registration of presidential candidates.
All the candidates had equal opportunity to run their election campaign that is an essential element of democratic elections.
The pre-election campaign is carried out within the electoral law and ethic norms, in the correct form, given the national mentality and traditions.
The Central Commission for Elections and Referenda informs of the date and timing of the meetings of the electorate with the presidential candidates in advance through the print media.
The course of the election campaign is widely covered in Turkmenistan through the mass media. The reports on the meetings of the presidential candidates with the voters are published under the heading “The Elections” in the newspapers Turkmenistan and Neutral Turkmenistan. The national TV channels broadcast the reels on he procedure of voting. Full and thorough coverage of the main stages of the presidential election campaign is given in the print media on a regular basis.
The CIS Observer Mission will present final conclusions and evaluation of the results of monitoring of the election campaign in Turkmenistan in its final document after the elections.