OREANDA-NEWS. December 9, 2008. The meeting with the experts of the Election Support Team of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR/OSCE) was held at the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of Turkmenistan. The guests had arrived in the Turkmen capital to observe the 14 December elections to the Mejlis of IV convocation.

vThe presentations on the major aspects of the election campaign and in this context the priorities of the constitutional reform initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to enhance and move forward the democratic processes in Turkmenistan were made during the meeting. It was emphasized that the major principles and universally recognized standards of international law had been incorporated in the current election law of Turkmenistan.

Briefing on the innovations of this year’s parliamentary elections in Turkmenistan the specialists of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda informed the guests that 27 polling stations had been opened for Turkmen citizens in the foreign countries. On the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov the observers had been drawn from the European countries and the authoritative international organisations to monitor the parliamentary elections for the first time in Turkmenistan that vividly illustrated Turkmenistan’s openness and interest in equal constructive partnership. Thus, the CIS observation mission was working in the country.

Presenting the accreditation certificates to the ODIHR/OSCE Election Support Team Chairman of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda M. O. Karriev noted that their participation in the parliamentary elections in Turkmenistan would considerably contribute to development of the democratic processes in Turkmenistan, further intensification of the dialogue with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Thanking for the confidence granted the guests said that they highly appreciated co-operation with Turkmenistan and especially the fact that the OSCE had been invited for the first time to visit Turkmenistan in such an important period of time – the period of preparing and holding the elections to the national Parliament.

The delegation of the ODIHR/OSCE Election Support Team will visit the electoral districts in Ashgabat and all five regions of the country to monitor the electoral process. The meetings at the ministries, departments and large public organisations of Turkmenistan were scheduled.