In Turkmenistan the elections to the Mejlis of IV convocation became a historic event. Held on the wide alternative basis in the atmosphere of openness and transparency the nationwide lections marked with high civic consciousness and enthusiasm of the population reflecting the profoundness of the ongoing democratic reforms in the country.

The district electoral committees throughout the country registered 287 candidates for 125 mandates of people’s confidence. The candidates had been run by the large public organisations – members of the Galkynysh National Movement and the meetings of the initiative groups of citizens who reside in the territory of the relevant election districts. The fact that 79 candidates were run by the general meetings of citizens testifies to high civic consciousness of the population.

The electoral registers compiled during the election campaign included 2.763,993 citizens of Turkmenistan who have the right to vote and had reached the age of 18 buy the election day. According to the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of Turkmenistan, the exit polls showed that 1.566,744 citizens cast votes by noon on December 14th, or the turnout of voters made up over 56 percent of the total number of registered voters. Thus, in compliance with the current election law of Turkmenistan the parliamentary elections were declared to be valid. By closing the polling stations 2.594,658 citizens of Turkmenistan cast their votes, or the turnout of voters made up 93.87 percent.

Citizens of Turkmenistan residing abroad received an opportunity to cast their vote that is newly introduced during this year’s parliamentary elections. They came to 27 polling stations opened at the embassies and consular offices of Turkmenistan in the foreign states

The parliamentary elections in Turkmenistan were in the focus of attention to the world community that showed intense interest in the policy of progressive reforms pursued by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. On the initiative of the Turkmen leader about 60b international observers and experts representing the European states and the authoritative international organisations such as the United Nations, OSCE, CIS Executive Committee had been drawn in Turkmenistan to monitor the elections. The foreign observers involved in monitoring the election campaign and the elections visited the election districts in Ashgabat and five regions of the country.

A delegation of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) visited Turkmenistan during the election campaign. The IFES experts highly evaluated the ongoing reforms in Turkmenistan and supported the Turkmen partners’ endeavours to establish open, constructive co-operation. Almost 2,130 national observers representing the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights and the large public organisations of the country – the Democratic Party, the National Centre of Trade Unions, the Women’s Union, Magtymguly Youth Organization monitored the voting procedure.

The foreign journalists of the world’s leading news agencies covered the parliamentary elections in Turkmenistan.