The headquarters of the mission of observers from the CIS has opened in Ashgabat, which has begun monitoring the elections to the Mejlis (parliament) of Turkmenistan, which will be held on March 26.
CIS Deputy Secretary General Ilkhom Nematov said in an interview with journalists that the mission will be headed by CIS Secretary General Sergei Lebedev. “We opened the headquarters of the mission, which will deal with the organizational issues of the observers' activities. Long-term observers have already arrived and have already started monitoring the elections. Short-term observers will arrive on the eve of the elections," Nematov said. He stressed that according to the information that the mission has today, the electoral process is proceeding normally, without any deviations, based on the legislation of Turkmenistan.
"The mission will include 50 people. These are representatives of the CIS countries, chairmen of the Central Election Commissions of the Commonwealth countries, the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the parliaments of the CIS countries and diplomats accredited in Ashgabat," Nematov said.
In January of this year, Turkmenistan decided to return to a unicameral parliament - the Mejlis, which exercises legislative power in the country. There are 258 registered candidates from the country's political parties and citizen groups for 125 seats in parliament. A citizen of Turkmenistan who has reached the age of 25 and has been permanently residing in Turkmenistan for the previous ten years may be elected as a deputy of the Mejlis.
Source: Turkmenistan.ru