In total, 112 candidates for members of one of the chambers of the new parliament have been registered.
The first election of members of the Halk Maslahaty of Milli Gengesh, one of the chambers of the new parliament, will be held in Turkmenistan on March 28. Its key part is the pre-election campaign which ended yesterday. In total, 112 candidates have been registered, as reported by «Turkmenistan Today».
The Central Commission for the Conduct of Elections and Referenda announced that preparations for the election were carried out in an atmosphere of openness and transparency. Besides, the process was strictly in line with the electoral code and international law.
Considering the total number of registered candidates for members of the Halk Maslahaty, 2-3 people run for each of the 48 mandates. It is important to note that 26% of all the candidates are women.
According to the local election commission, 24 meetings of candidates with voters were held in Ashgabat and provinces. The Halk Maslahaty will include 56 people — 8 members from each province and capital and 8 representatives appointed by the leader of the country. At the moment, 6 polling stations are fully ready for the election. 440 national observers will monitor the ensuring of openness and transparency during the election.
Analyst of CentralAsia.news Murad Khaitov said that the creation of a bicameral parliament in Turkmenistan is an important historical moment. According to him, this state body will fulfill both representative and legislative functions. To implement the relevant process, two independent chambers are formed — the Halk Maslahaty and the Mejlis.
He underlined that the Halk Maslahaty is not the «supreme» or «superior» body of state power. Its role is to approve or reject laws adopted by the Mejlis if there is at least 50% of the corresponding votes.
