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Turkmenistan Page |
Welcome to ElectionInfo.com's pages on Turkmenistan
Official Name: Republic of Turkmenistan
Capital: Ashgabat
Area: 488,100 square kilometres ( 188,456 square miles )
Major cities (Population): Ashgabat 517,200 (1993 estimate)
Population: 4,099,000 (1995 estimate)
Population growth rate: 2.3 per cent (1990-1995 average)
Type of government: Republic
Independence: 27 October 1991 (from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR])
Constitution: Adopted 18 May 1992
Voting Rights: Universal at age 18
Government
The 1992 constitution established Turkmenistan as a republic, and provides for a president, elected by the people to a maximum of two five-year terms. The president serves as head of state, head of government, and supreme commander of the armed forces. The president is advised by the Council of Ministers. The constitution calls for a 50-member Majlis to serve as the country's legislature. However, until the new Majlis is formed, the 175-seat Supreme Soviet will serve as the Majlis.
The Khalk Maslakhaty, which is Turkmen for “People's Council”, was established by the constitution as the supreme representative body in Turkmenistan. Although it is ascribed few powers by the constitution, the council may debate legislative measures and constitutional amendments and pass a measure of no confidence against the president. The People's Council is composed of the members of the Majlis, 10 appointed representatives, 50 directly elected members, the members of the Council of Ministers, the chairperson of the Supreme Court, the chairperson of the Supreme Economic Court, the Procurator General, and the heads of local councils. Elections to the People's Council, held in December 1994, returned all 50 former members to office unopposed.
Recent History
Saparmurad A. Niyazov was elected chairperson of the Supreme Soviet in 1990, and, following independence in 1991, he took over the office of president in 1992. The Communist Party was renamed the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, and the growth of opposition political parties has been severely restricted, so that in practice Niyazov wields almost absolute power. He has also won the support of the state-sponsored Muslim hierarchy, who officially endorsed him as president.
In 1992 Niyazov won 99.5 per cent of the vote in an uncontested presidential election, and he appointed himself chairperson of the Council of Ministers. In a referendum held in January 1994, 99.9 per cent of the voters endorsed Niyazov's leadership, allowing him to extend his presidency until 2002. According to the constitution of 1992, President Niyazov has the power to disband the Majlis and appoint and dismiss all judges.
A cult of personality that surrounds Niyazov appears to be based on genuine loyalty—streets, a university stipend, a state farm, a cargo ship, and the Turkmen Academy of Agricultural Sciences are named after him. Political freedoms and the right of dissent are suppressed, and the right of freedom of the press has been officially removed from the country's constitution; however, there has been little political upheaval, and despite economic hardship, little public dissent. Although Turkmenistan is officially a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), under Niyazov the government has preferred bilateral agreements to multilateral arrangements such as the CIS, and has been wary in its dealings with both Iran and Turkey, which seek influence in the region.
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