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P 231528Z NOV 07
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 001274 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: IMPENDING PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S 
COUNCIL ELECTIONS - LIKELY MORE OF THE SAME 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  SUMMARY: Provincial People's Council elections are 
to be conducted on December 9, for the first time since the 
Berdimuhamedov government approved amendments to the law 
governing these elections in July 2007.  The amendments 
effectively reversed provisions of a 2005 law that, at least 
on paper, seemed to hand over a tiny bit of authority to the 
provinces.  Although few observers noticed the changes in 
July, the application of the amendments to the impending 
election bring into sharp focus the notion that the current 
leadership prefers to retain central government control over 
the provinces, to include local budgetary decisions, local 
ordinances, and of course the appointment of governors. 
Although the 2005 law was never applied to provincial council 
elections under Niyazov, it would have been surprising if he 
would have really allowed someone other than himself to 
choose provincial governors.  While the December 9 election, 
like previous Turkmenistan elections, will not come close to 
approaching international standards, we will be on the 
lookout for any changes in the way it is handled and 
indications as to the degree to which the government is 
reforming the election process.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The 2005 Law on Provincial People's Council 
Members' Elections, which the Niyazov administration claimed 
was an effort to give some decisionmaking authority to 
provincial governments, is providing most of the guidance for 
conducting the December 9 elections.  Forty members in each 
of the provinces and in Ashgabat (NOTE:  Ashgabat City is 
treated like a sixth province, electorally speaking. END 
NOTE.) will be elected to the Provincial People's Council. 
The members of this council, in turn, will also be part of 
the National People's Council, which is also composed of 
District People's Councilmen, Village Councilmen, respected 
elders, and representatives from the provincial governorates. 
 The new members of the Provincial People's Councils are 
responsible for electing their own council chairman through 
an open election.  Their term of office is four years, and 
they meet at least twice a year, according to the 
Constitution and the 2005 law. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  In July 2007, however, following President 
Berdimuhamedov's entry into office, the government approved 
several new amendments to the 2005 law that reduced some of 
the limited powers of the Provincial People's Councils.  For 
example, the 2005 law stated that the member elected to chair 
the Provincial People's Council would also be the provincial 
governor, which would have permitted, for the first time, the 
election of governors, albeit very indirectly.  (COMMENT: 
Despite the 2005 law permitting provincial people's councils 
to choose governors, it would have been surprising if Niyazov 
had allowed anyone other than himself to have the last word 
on who served as provincial governor.  END COMMENT.) In July, 
this language was omitted, likely in order to guarantee the 
President's control over the hiring and firing of provincial 
governors. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Likewise, the 2005 law would have allowed 
provincial governments, for the first time, to pass decrees 
relevant to their own provinces, but this authority was not 
wide-ranging in this highly centralized state.  The July 
amendments further minimized their power, stating that the 
decrees of provincial People's Councils would be advisory in 
nature only.  Additionally, the 2005 law would have given 
provincial councils the power to approve the local budget and 
to control its implementation.  The July amendment reduced 
the provincial council's role in local budgetary issues to 
that of discussing the budget, helping to implement it, and 
listening to the central government's report on 
implementation.  All three of these changes to the law have 
the combined effect of assuring strong central government 
control over provincial affairs.  (COMMENT: Trimming back the 
role provinces play in their own budgets may also be a way of 
 
ASHGABAT 00001274  002 OF 003 
 
 
controlling corruption and having a better handle of where 
public money goes, something Berdimuhamedov is trying to do 
with central government bodies.  END COMMENT.) 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  These elections will be the first one conducted in 
Turkmenistan since the presidential election of February 
¶2007.  In the past, most citizens that Post queried on the 
street during elections for village and district-level 
councilmen were uninterested in the process, did not feel it 
affected their lives, and were completely unfamiliar with the 
candidates who were running for office or their "platforms." 
Local election commissions, however, are responsible for 
informing the public about candidates.  Candidates can be 
nominated by Turkmenistan's one political party, 
government-affiliated public associations or groups of 
private citizens.  If, however, private citizens wanted to 
nominate a candidate, the nomination would only be valid if 
200 citizens were in attendance and more than half of them 
approved the nomination.  (That said, post knows of several 
cases where individuals not associated either with the party 
or with government-affiliated public associations in fact 
were nominated and were "elected" as council people.) 
Election commissions themselves are an issue, given that at 
all levels, their members are nominated by the political 
party and other government-controlled entities and 
associations.  There is little by way of campaigning.  The 
elections do not meet OSCE standards for free, fair, and 
transparent. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  COMMENT: Post is expecting little on December 9, 
particularly given the limited powers the newly-elected 
provincial leaders will wield.  Nonetheless, we will be on 
the lookout for any changes in the way this election is 
handled and indications as to the degree to which the 
government is reforming the election process. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  In meetings with Turkmenistan officials regarding 
the December 9 election, the U.S. government should stress: 
 
-- The United States hopes the December 9 election will be 
open, transparent, and reflect procedural improvement from 
the February presidential election. 
 
-- Citizens should continue to be given increasing input into 
the nomination of candidates. 
 
-- The United States hopes that election commissions at all 
levels will become increasingly active in informing voters of 
issues and platforms ahead of time and in encouraging 
voluntary voter turnout.  However, the government should 
recognize that demands for near-total voter participation put 
unrealistic pressures on election commission officials, 
leading to problematic practices such as allowing heads of 
household to vote for all eligible family members and 
inappropriate use of the traveling ballot box system.  As the 
government seeks to transform its election system so it is 
more consistent with international standards, it should 
emphasize full compliance with voting regulations over voter 
turnout rates. 
 
-- The United States also encourages the government to 
continue to work closely with the UNDP, OSCE and other 
respected entities to identify and address areas not 
consistent with international standards.  In particular, the 
government should respond to the proposal ODIHR submitted in 
October, at Turkmenistan government request, on electoral 
reform. 
 
-- The United States also urges Turkmenistan to seek 
"cooperation" with election-oriented non-governmental 
organizations so that the electoral process can reach a stage 
where Turkmenistan can then invite international observers to 
monitor elections. END COMMENT. 
 
 
ASHGABAT 00001274  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
CURRAN