Turkmenistan: GOVERNMENT

Overview: Turkmenistan’s government nominally has three independent branches. However, since winning an uncontested presidential election in 1992 President Saparmurad Niyazov has effectively dominated governance in all branches and at all levels. Political opposition reportedly is nearly non-existent.

Executive Branch: The constitution of 1992 calls for the president to be elected directly to a maximum of two five-year terms. However, since the parliament named him president for life in 1999, Niyazov no longer is required to stand for reelection. He also sits as head of government (the Council of Ministers), commander of the armed forces, and chairman of the parliament. Niyazov appoints all members of the cabinet and national judiciary, as well as chief executives of local and regional jurisdictions. The domination of the president has been likened to that of President Kim Il Sung, the now deceased president of North Korea. Niyazov appoints the members of the Council of Ministers, which is entrusted with day-to-day governance. In 2005 the Council of Ministers included 21 ministers and the chairman of the State Bank. The only ministries with significant power are those of defense, national security, and justice, all of which are important instruments of domestic repression or national security. A Council of Elders, including representatives of Turkmenistan’s five tribal confederations, nominally provides advice to the president. In March 2005, Niyazov dismissed Deputy Prime Minister Rashid Meredov, who was considered a potential political rival.

Legislative Branch: After the parliamentary elections of 1999, the Majlis (parliament), by that time made up only of members from Niyazov’s party, received nominal new powers, including a mandate to form committees examining a wide range of public policies. However, because all members of that body are of Niyazov’s party, this mandate is meaningless and the Majlis has been a rubber-stamp body. Another one-party Majlis election was held in 2004. In 2003 an arbitrarily ratified constitutional amendment effectively replaced the Majlis as the chief legislative body with the Khalk Maslakhaty (National Council), a 2,507-member, unicameral body that previously had exercised vague executive, judicial, and legislative powers. Only 65 of that body’s members are popularly elected; the remainder are ex officio members or are appointed by the president, who also is presiding officer. The Khalk Maslakhaty, which now sits continuously, received the power to dissolve the Majlis and to make constitutional law.

Judicial Branch:. The only national court is the Supreme Court, whose 22 members are appointed by the president without legislative review to five-year terms. The president also has the authority to dismiss any judge. There is no constitutional court.

Administrative Divisions: Turkmenistan is divided into five provinces, which in turn are divided into a total of 50 districts. The city of Ashgabat has the status of a province.

Provincial and Local Government: Governors of the provinces are appointed by the president. District heads, known as hekims, are appointed by the governors. Local and provincial councils are elected directly. Although the districts send representatives to the Khalk Maslakhaty, they have no power because of the dominance of the president over that body. The president has dismissed provincial governors frequently.

Judicial and Legal System: Although the constitution calls for an independent judiciary, in practice the judicial branch is under the control of the president because of his authority to appoint and dismiss judges. Below the national level are five provincial courts and a separate court for the city of Ashgabat. Within the provinces are a total of 61 district and city courts. Civilian courts hear criminal cases against members of the military. The decisions of lower courts may be appealed at the next level. The procurator’s office conducts all criminal investigations. Although the constitution states the right to counsel, few lawyers are available to represent defendants.

Electoral System: Elections nominally are organized by the Central Election Commission, a rubber-stamp organization whose members are named by the Khalk Maslakhaty. In the presidential election of 1992, no opposition candidates were allowed to stand, in 1997 the presidential election was canceled by referendum, and in 1999 the parliament declared Niyazov president for life. Nevertheless, Niyazov has promised a new presidential election by 2010, in which he will not run. In the local elections of 2003, all candidates were nominated by Niyazov’s administration or by the Ministry of National Security.

Political Parties: The only legal party is the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, which evolved from the Soviet-era Communist Party of Turkmenistan. Because of Niyazov’s complete dominance of political life, the Democratic Party has little significance. The two major opposition parties were forced into exile in the early 1990s. In the mid- and late 1990s, some large-scale protests were stimulated by specific events. Some small underground political groups exist in Turkmenistan, and three major opposition groups operate from exile: Gundogar and Moscow-based Erkin are led by former officials of the Niyazov government, and the coalition Union of Democratic Forces, formed by four exile opposition groups, is based in Vienna.

Mass Media: The Niyazov regime has concentrated heavily on gaining full control of the media. The government funds nearly all newspapers, and criticism of the president is absolutely forbidden. State licensing policy effectively eliminates all outlets not reflecting official views. To avoid reprisal, domestic and foreign journalists engage in self-censorship. In 2003 the newspapers with the largest circulation were Mugallymlar gazeti (Teacher’s Newspaper), Adalat (Justice), and Vatan (Motherland). Most newspapers appear weekly or three times weekly. The only news agency is the Turkmen State News Service; the Anadolu Agency of Turkey maintains an office in Ashgabat. Broadcasting is under the full control of the National Television and Radio Company of Turkmenistan, which operates four national television channels. No recent information on radio stations is available.

Foreign Relations: The strict neutrality policy of the Niyazov regime has limited Turkmenistan’s foreign relations except when natural gas and oil are concerned. Increased Western attention to the region following the September 11, 2001, attacks has not appreciably reduced Turkmenistan’s isolation. Because the main prerequisite for foreign relations has been the maintenance of primary routes and markets for fuel exports, Russia and Ukraine are important partners. In the early 2000s, Belarus and Turkey also established significant trading relationships with Turkmenistan. Despite Iran’s international isolation, Turkmenistani policy makers have seen that country as an important partner and counterweight to Russia. Relations with Azerbaijan are strained because of differing approaches to ownership of Caspian Sea resources, and Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have long-standing differences over their respective treatment of the other country’s minority populations and over Uzbekistan’s moves toward regional dominance. Relations with Afghanistan have gained importance in the early 2000s with the prospect of a trans-Afghan pipeline moving Turkmenistani gas to markets in India and Pakistan. After September 11, Turkmenistan offered humanitarian but not military aid to the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan, rejecting what was considered a good opportunity to expand U.S. relations. Turkmenistan’s political climate and human rights record have discouraged Western countries from seeking new relations.

Membership in International Organizations: Turkmenistan is a member of the following international organizations: the Asian Development Bank, Commonwealth of Independent States, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Food and Agriculture Organization, Industrial Development Bank, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Finance Corporation, International Labour Organization, International Monetary Fund, International Organization for Migration (observer status), International Telecommunication Union, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Partnership for Peace (of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO), United Nations, United Nations Committee on Trade and Development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Universal Postal Union, World Customs Organization, World Federation of Trade Unions, and World Health Organization.

Major International Treaties: Among the multilateral treaties to which Turkmenistan is a signatory are the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, Geneva Conventions (1949), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer, Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (including the Kyoto Protocol).

RECENT NEWS ARTICLES

Reporter's death a dark side of Turkmenistan  -  24 Oct 2006
Independent Online,The death in a Turkmenistan jail of a journalist working for a United States-funded radio station marks a low in the Central Asian state's appalling human ...

Siemens of Germany Talks Energy Partnership with Turkmenistan  -  24 Oct 2006
NewsCentralAsia,Ashgabat, 23 October 2006 (nCa) --- Siemens, the largest supplier of medical technology to Turkmenistan, seems ready to start participating in the Turkmen ...

TURKMENISTAN: Hare Krishna prisoner of conscience freed with ...  -  24 Oct 2006
Forum 18,She was jailed on three charges, two of which related to leaving Turkmenistan illegally. The third charge has never been made public ...

Nations United on UN Day in Turkmenistan  -  24 Oct 2006
NewsCentralAsia,...a dozen countries was so strong that people lent only a quarter of an ear to what Richard Young, resident coordinator of UN system in Turkmenistan or Reshit ...

Energy: Experts Ponder Future 'Gas Wars'  -  24 Oct 2006
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty,Pifer sees the most likely disagreement as being between Russia and Turkmenistan. "I do think there is a question, for instance, in ...

More on the Curt Weldon Investigaton: Itera  -  24 Oct 2006
TPMCafe,So, we were pioneers. Later on, for that purpose ITERA established Turkmenrosgaz, a joint venture company, with Turkmenistan and Gazprom as partners. ...

Families of Turkmen Defence ministry personnel move to luxury ...  -  24 Oct 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,On the eve of Turkmenistan's Independence Day Turkish contractor companies Bahar, Avrasia and Kylych have commissioned two luxury houses in one of the central ...

New trade center and housing estate opened in Turkmen capital  -  24 Oct 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,A new trade center and big housing estate have been inaugurated in Ashgabat on the eve of Independence Day of Turkmenistan marked on October 27. ...

Wedding Palace "Bagt Koshgi" opened in Ashgabat  -  24 Oct 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,Turkmenistan's new Wedding Palace "Bagt Koshgi" has issued first marriage certificates to just-married couples. As the Ashgabat ...

Turkey : Organization of Islamic Conference meet today  -  24 Oct 2006
Fibre2fashion.com,...representatives from countries like Iran, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Mali, Egypt, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Uganda ...

Vladimir Putin congratulates Saparmurat Niyazov on Independence of ...  -  Oct 20, 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports with reference to the press service of the head of state, the President of the Russian Federation ...

Five new theaters inaugurated at one time in Turkmenistan  -  Oct 21, 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports, five theater crews moved to new buildings built for them in the capital city and administrative ...

Calik to Build Power Plant in Turkmenistan  -  Oct 22, 2006
Zaman Online,Calik Energy, which already employs about 12,000 people in Turkmenistan with its investments in energy, textiles and construction, will construct a new $110 ...

Turkmenistan Is For Lovers  -  Oct 16, 2006
Washington Post,The theme of his latest tome, "Turkmenistan, My Happiness" according to state run media is that "without love and its all-triumphant force a man is comparable ...

US Congress Will Consider Resolution On Turkmenistan  -  Oct 16, 2006
Гундогар,...and Vice Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, today I introduce this resolution on systemic human rights violations in Turkmenistan. ...

Turkmenistan to Increase Gas Price for Iran  -  Oct 20, 2006
NewsCentralAsia,Ashgabat, 20 October 2006 (nCa) --- Turkmenistan may soon raise the price of natural gas it supplies to Iran. Currently we are supplying ...

Turkmenistan to Release Some of the Coup Plotters of 2002  -  Oct 16, 2006
NewsCentralAsia,Ashgabat, 17 October 2006 (nCa) --- Under the annual amnesty programme, Turkmenistan would set free nearly 55% of the prison population this week. ...

Turkmenistan says Trans Afghan Pipeline is a Humanitarian Project  -  Oct 20, 2006
NewsCentralAsia,...at our borders.�. Niyazov underlined that as a rule, Turkmenistan does not get involved in transit problems. Gazprom buys Turkmen ...

Marble and Granite Plant Commissioned in Turkmenistan  -  Oct 17, 2006
NewsCentralAsia,Ashgabat, 18 October 2006 (nCa) --- A marble and granite processing plant came into service Tuesday in Turkmenistan. Bouygues of ...

Turkmenistan has Excellent Relations with All Neighbours  -  Oct 20, 2006
NewsCentralAsia,Ashgabat, 20 October 2006 (nCa) --- President Niyazov said Friday that Turkmenistan enjoys excellent relations with all of its neighbours. ...

Journalists Get New Office Complex in Turkmenistan  -  Oct 17, 2006
NewsCentralAsia,Ashgabat, 18 October 2006 (nCa) --- A 10-storey building was opened Tuesday in Turkmenistan that would house all the major publications and news services of ...

Cable Car System Inaugurated in Turkmenistan  -  Oct 17, 2006
NewsCentralAsia,Ashgabat, 18 October 2006 (nCa) --- A cable car system and related recreational complex were inaugurated Tuesday in Turkmenistan. ...

The authorities of Turkmenistan break up mixed families and deport ...  -  Oct 20, 2006
Ferghana.ru,Women from the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan who married citizens of Turkmenistan after 1992 are sent back to their native country with the stamp "Deported" in ...

Museum of fine arts of Turkmenistan gets unique specimen  -  Oct 16, 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,Ancient abacuses discovered during excavation works at the famous monument Gonur Depe in Mary province of Turkmenistan were transferred to the Museum of Fine ...

Turkmenistan announces winners of first art contest among folk ...  -  Oct 19, 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports, the results of the first art contest "Live puppets" among folk puppet theatres have been summed up in ...

OSCE Urged to Press Turkmenistan on Human Rights  -  Oct 19, 2006
Institute for War and Peace Reporting,Although Turkmenistan’s human rights record came under scrutiny at a recent meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NBCentralAsia ...

Turkmenistan : Turkmen earns US$38 million & Manat24 billion in ...  -  Oct 17, 2006
Fibre2fashion.com,Afghanistan, Ukraine and Azerbaijan bought lint cotton, ulyuk, technical, sewing and wool cotton along with purified waste of cotton spinning from Turkmenistan ...

Turkmenistan: Informed Observers Spot Soviet Legacies In Ashgabat  -  Oct 16, 2006
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty,PRAGUE, October 16, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- RFE/RL sponsored a roundtable on Turkmenistan on the sidelines of the OSCE's annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting ...

Turkmenistan creates national genetic bank of cultivated plants  -  Oct 9, 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports, a genetic bank of cultivated plants has been inaugurated in the National Museum of White Wheat Ak ...

President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov signs decree on "Id ...  -  Oct 14, 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports referring to the press service of the head of state, Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov signed the ...

Turkmenistan and UN review cooperation over 15 years of ...  -  Oct 13, 2006
NewsCentralAsia,Ashgabat, 13 October 2006 (nCa) --- The Government of Turkmenistan is hosting the international Conference on results of the Government-UN Agencies ...

Turkmenistan announces winners of museum contest  -  Oct 12, 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports, the results of a contest which was organized by the Ministry of culture and TV and Radio broadcast ...

TV news presenters awarded title of honored artist of Turkmenistan  -  Oct 13, 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,By the decree of President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov, editors of Watan news of "Altyn Asyr: Turkmenistan" TV channel, who are also presenters of Watan ...

Turkmenistan condemns North Korean nuclear test  -  Oct 11, 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,..."Turkmenistan joins the international community ... In this regard, Turkmenistan supports the UN Security Council's efforts on drawing up the relevant resolution. ...

Turkmenistan Joins World Community in Condemning North Korea  -  Oct 11, 2006
NewsCentralAsia,The press release of the foreign office of Turkmenistan says, “Turkmenistan joins the world community and condemns the actions of North Korea connected with ...

Turkmenistan to build Drama Theater in Balkan province  -  Oct 13, 2006
Turkmenistan.ru,As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports referring to the press service of the head of state, Saparmurat Niyazov signed a special resolution on ...

Turkmenistan : Niyazov signs legal order for trade center  -  Oct 12, 2006
Fibre2fashion.com,Saparmurat Niyazov, President of Turkmenistan, signed a legal order which empowers Ministry of Textile Industry and Ministry of Trade and Consumer Cooperation ...

Turkmenistan marks anniversary with conference  -  Oct 18, 2006
Turkish Daily News (subscription),Turkmenistan marked 15 years of independence with an international conference on the country's national and foreign policy and cooperation with the United ...



This series of profiles of foreign nations is part of the Country Studies Program, formerly the Army Area Handbook Program. The profiles offer brief, summarized information on a country’s historical background, geography, society, economy, transportation and telecommunications, government and politics, and national security. In addition to being featured in the front matter of published Country Studies, they are now being prepared as stand-alone reference aides for all countries in the series, as well as for a number of additional countries of interest. The profiles offer reasonably current country information independent of the existence of a recently published Country Study and will be updated annually or more frequently as events warrant.

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