Politics

The politics of Turkmenistan take place in the framework of a presidential republic, with the President both head of state and head of government. Turkmenistan has a single-party system.

Executive Branch

Under the 1992 constitution, the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The president appoints the deputy chairmen of the cabinet of ministers.

Niyazov added the post of chairman of the Supreme Soviet in January 1990, and was elected as the country's first president that October. He was the only candidate in Turkmenistan's first presidential elections in 1992. A 1994 plebiscite extended his term to 2002, and Parliament extended his term indefinitely in 1999, making him 'president for life'.

After Niyazov's death, deputy prime minister Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow was named acting president, and was elected president in his own right on 11 February 2007 in elections condemned by international observers as fraudulent.

Legislative Branch

Under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council (or Halk Maslahaty), which is a supreme legislative body of up to 2,500 delegates, some of whom are elected by popular vote and some of whom are appointed, and meets at least yearly; and a unicameral Assembly (Mejlis), which has 50 seats (scheduled to be increased to 65); members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms.

In late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the powers of the Mejlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme legislative organ; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve the Mejlis, and the president is able to participate in the Mejlis as its supreme leader; the Mejlis can no longer adopt or amend the constitution, or announce referendums or its elections; since the president is both the 'Chairman for Life' of the Halk Maslahaty and the supreme leader of the Mejlis, the 2003 law has the effect of making him the sole authority of both the executive and legislative branches of government.

Political Parties

Turkmenistan is a single-party state. Only one political party is legally allowed to hold effective power - the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan.

There have been political parties and opposition groups in the past - a group named Agzybirlik (Unity) was banned in January 1990. Its members formed the Party for Democratic Development which was itself banned in 1991. This led a coalition for democratic reform named Gengesh (Conference).

The latest opposition party operates in exile and is named The Republican Party of Turkmenistan. Since all opposition is banned within Turkmenistan, it was forced to form and operate from abroad.

Human Rights

Some human rights are guaranteed in the Constitution of Turkmenistan. However, rights issues in Turkmenistan, an authoritarian state, include freedom of religion issues. Despite international pressure, the authorities keep a very close eye on all religious groups and the legal framework is so constrictive that many prefer to exist underground rather than to have to pass through all the official processes.

According to the 2005 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, Turkmenistan had the second-worst press freedom conditions in the world behind North Korea, and as of a 2006 report, is listed as one of the 13 'Internet enemies'.

In early 2005, the President called for all hospitals outside Ashgabat to be closed. Given the restrictions on movement inside the country and the country's tightly controlled press, outside experts have had difficulty in determining the extent to which the hospital-closing plan has been carried out.

People who have defected from Turkmenistan are subject to prison terms for betraying the country. Any act of homosexuality in Turkmenistan is punishable by up to five years in prison. Liberal political movements which call for democracy or freedom of speech are illegal, and membership in one of them could lead to imprisonment.