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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #1548/01 3370327
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 020327Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1926
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3106
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001548 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAO OIIP TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN:  PRE-ELECTION VISIT TO ABADAN REVEALS LITTLE 
CHANGE IN ELECTORAL PROCESS 
 
¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  During a recent trip to Abadan city, just west 
of Ashgabat, PAO met with local officials to discuss preparations 
for upcoming parliamentary elections. PAO heard mostly standard 
Turkmen government replies about aspects of Turkmen elections such 
as public campaign financing and equal distribution of information 
about candidates.  While discussion of the upcoming Turkmen 
elections was informal and relatively open, all four interlocutors 
were visibly excited to chat about the recent election of Barack 
Obama as the new U.S. President.  END SUMMARY. 
 
INPUT FROM ALL FOUR, NOT JUST THE BOSS 
 
¶3. (SBU) On November 25, PAO visited Abadan's city hall for a 
meeting with the mayor, the deputy mayor responsible for elections, 
the local electoral commissioner and one other electoral commission 
staffer.  In contrast to many government meetings, the mayor 
permitted the lower ranking members of the group to do much of the 
talking about the election process, particularly the election 
commissioner.  Although all four made sincere efforts to respond and 
to collaborate on answering questions, there was little variance 
from official statements on the election process. 
 
BROADER NOMINATION PROCESS 
 
¶4. (SBU) Led mostly by the election commissioner, the four provided 
explanations about the selection of the district's two candidates, 
the public financing of candidates, and the role of the central and 
local election commissions in publicizing information about each of 
the district's candidates.  After asking how the process differed 
under the new constitution, PAO was told that the nominating process 
now permitted the nomination of candidates by either the government 
or by unions or community groups.  The commissioner also noted that 
in contrast to previous years, voters would need to checkmark their 
choice on the ballot, rather than cross off the names of all other 
candidates as in years past.  Further questions on what has changed 
seemed to make the four uncomfortable. 
 
THE MEJLIS SPEAKER'S HOME DISTRICT - OFFICIALLY NO INCUMBENT 
ADVANTAGE 
 
¶5. (SBU) As was noted fairly early in the conversation, Abadan is 
the home district of Turkmenistan's most famous member of 
parliament, Mejlis Speaker Akja Nurberdiyeva.  Opposing her is 
Atamyrat Gurtguliyev, a local educator and administrator.  Despite 
questions from PAO about how the candidates differed and questions 
as to whether or not Nurberdiyeva had a natural advantage, the four 
maintained an official impartiality.  The four emphasized that it 
was their duty to prevent either candidate from using their office 
to promote their candidacies, and that both fully supported the 
policies of the president and either would make an excellent 
representative of Abadan.  All four seemed to be uncomfortable 
answering PAO's questions about how the two candidates differ, or 
how a voter could distinguish between them when their descriptions 
noted that the two were nearly identical and equally worthy.  The 
only real difference came from the commission staffer who noted that 
Nurberdiyeva was a woman and would perhaps appeal to women and 
others interested in diversity.  He volunteered that his wife was a 
likely Nurberdiyeva supporter.  None of the officials' comments 
suggested the possibility of comparisons of their views on issues, 
or their records of service. 
 
MORE INTEREST IN OBAMA THAN NURBERDIYEVA 
 
¶6. (SBU) After about an hour of friendly, if limited conversation, 
PAO asked if any had followed the recent U.S. presidential 
elections.  The mood in the meeting suddenly changed with an 
elevated level of back and forth discussion reflecting that the four 
Turkmen officials were well-informed.  PAO fielded multiple comments 
and questions from the four including: "If I were American I'd have 
voted for Obama," "Who did you vote for?" "Did you think Obama would 
win before the election?" "Why did the polls start to narrow in the 
last few days of campaigning?" "What happens to McCain now that he 
has lost?" "Do wealthy candidates pay for their own campaigns?" "Do 
candidates carry out charity work that will help them win votes?" 
 
ASHGABAT 00001548  002 OF 002 
 
 
The discussion enthusiastically continued for another thirty 
minutes.  PAO also distributed some IIP literature on U.S. elections 
and other American topics which all four found interesting. 
 
POLLING STATIONS NORMAL 
 
¶7. (SBU) A visit to two local polling stations, almost three weeks 
before election day, revealed little other than some voting booths 
being set up.  But local poll workers and the Abadan election 
commissioner emphasized that they would do their best to encourage 
the voters in their districts to vote. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: According to the remarks of officials in Abadan, 
little seems to have changed from the way parliamentary candidates 
were selected in the past, when solely the government made the 
choice.  There were some comments about the new constitution 
advancing their electoral process to a more democratic future, given 
that social organizations have a greater role.  Whether this will 
result in real change remains to be seen after the new parliament is 
seated.  The more relaxed discussion with all four government 
officials present (instead of only talking with the highest-ranking 
official) and the high interest in American elections signaled a 
greater openness and an interest in American democracy.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
MILES