Politics of Turkmenistan

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Turkmenistan
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Turkmenistan

President Saparmurat Niyazov Assembly People's Council Political parties Democratic Party of Turkmenistan Elections Provinces Human rights Foreign relations Ruhnama
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Politics of Turkmenistan take place in the framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Turkmenistan is both head of state and head of government. Turkmenistan has a single-party system ruled by President for Life Saparmurat Niyazov.

1 Political background
2 Executive branch
3 Legislative branch
4 Political parties and elections
5 Administrative divisions
6 Foreign Policy
7 International organization participation

[edit] Political background

After 69 years as part of the Soviet Union (including 67 years as a union republic), Turkmenistan declared its independence on October 27, 1991.

President for Life Saparmurat Niyazov, a former bureaucrat of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, has ruled Turkmenistan since 1985, when he became head of the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR. He retains absolute control over the country. On December 28, 1999, Niyazov's term was extended indefinitely by the Mejlis (parliament), which itself had taken office only a week earlier in elections that included only candidates hand-picked by President Niyazov; no opposition candidates were allowed.

The president's party, the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (the former Communist Party), is the only one legally permitted. Political gatherings are illegal unless government sanctioned.

All citizens are required to carry internal passports, noting place of residence--a practice carried over from the Soviet era. Movement into and out of the country, as well as within its borders, is difficult. Turkmenistan is dominated by a pervasive cult of personality extolling President Niyazov as Turkmenbashi ("Leader of all Turkmen"). His face adorns many everyday objects, from banknotes to bottles of vodka. The logo of Turkmen national television is his profile. The two books he has written are mandatory readings in schools and public servants are quizzed yearly about their knowledge of its contents. It is also common in shops and homes. Many institutions are named after his mother. All watches and clocks made must bear his portrait printed on the dial-face. A giant 15-meter (50 feet) tall gold-plated statue of him stands on a rotating pedestal in Ashgabat, so it will always face into the sun and shine light onto the city. President Niyazov has recently proclaimed that anyone who reads his book Ruhnama three times will "become more intelligent, will recognise the divine being and will go straight to heaven"[1].

A slogan popular in Turkmen propaganda is "Halk! Watan! Türkmenbashi!" meaning "People! Motherland! Leader!". Niyazov renamed the days of the week after members of his family and wrote the new Turkmen national anthem/oath himself.

Foreign companies seeking to exploit Turkmenistan's vast natural gas resources have cooperated with Niyazov since he also controls access to the natural resources. His book Ruhnama (or Rukhnama), which is revered in Turkmenistan almost like a holy text, has been translated into 32 languages and distributed for free among major international libraries[2].

The constitution provides for freedom of the press, but the government does not practice it. The government controls all media outlets. Only two newspapers, Adalat and Galkynysh, are nominally independent, but they were created by presidential decree. Cable TV, which had existed in the late 1980s, was shut down.

Activities of all but the officially recognized Russian Orthodox and Sunni Muslim faiths are severely limited. Religious congregations are required to register with the government, and individual parishes must have at least 500 members to register. Severe measures are directed toward religious sects that have not been able to establish official ties of state recognition, especially Baptists, Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, Hare Krishna, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Bahá'ís. Practitioners of these sects have allegedly been harassed, imprisoned, and/or tortured, according to some outside human rights advocacy groups.

Corruption continues to be pervasive. Power is concentrated in the president; the judiciary is wholly subservient to the regime, with all judges appointed for 5-year terms by the president without legislative review. Little has been done to prosecute corrupt officials.

Turkmenistan refuses to join any international organization, because of its "status of permanent neutrality," which was accepted by the UN General Assembly on December 12, 1995.

[edit] Executive branch

Main office holders
Office	Name	Party	Since
President	Saparmurat Niyazov		27 October 1990

The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The present president was unanimously approved as president for life by the Assembly on 28 December 1999. He appoints the deputy chairmen of the cabinet of ministers.

[edit] Legislative branch

The legislature, the Assembly (Mejlis) has 50 members, elected for a five year term in single seat constituencies. Turkmenistan is a single-party state, the only political party, the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan is legally allowed to hold power. All candidates at the elections belonged to this party. Furthermore, the Khalk Maslakhaty (People's Council) which is considered the ultimate representative body, has 65 members. All candidates at the elections of 7 april 2003 (turnout 89.3 %) belonged also to the DPT. The Assembly is an example of a "Rubber Stamp Legislature"

[edit] Political parties and elections

The following election results include names of political parties. See for additional information about parties the List of political parties in Turkmenistan. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Turkmenistan.

[discuss] – [edit]
**Summary of the 19 December 2004 Mejlis of Turkmenistan election results**
Party	Seats
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan	50
Total (turnout 76.9 %)	50

[discuss] – [edit]
**Summary of the 7 April 2003 People's Council of Turkmenistan election results**
Party	Seats
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan	65
Total (turnout 65 %)	65

[edit] Administrative divisions

Turkmenistan is divided into 5 provinces welayatlar (singular - welayat): Ahal Province (Aşgabat), Balkan Province (Balkanabat, formerly Nebitdag), Daşoguz Province (formerly Tashauz), Lebap Province (Turkmenabat), Mary Province

[edit] Foreign Policy

Foreign policy of Turkmenistan is based on the status of permanent positive neutrality recognized by the UN General Assembly Resolution on Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan on 12 December, 1995. Articles on Turkmenistan's foreign policy as a neutral state: