VZCZCXRO1890
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0024/01 0080508
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 080508Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2076
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 4649
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 2453
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 2318
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 2897
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 3192
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000024 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: A FIRST LOOK AT THE COMPOSITION OF 
THE NEW MEJLIS 
 
¶1.  (U)  Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:   A picture is beginning to form of the 
group of deputies that will comprise the new Mejlis, set to 
meet for the first time on January 9.  Chairman Nurberdiyeva 
and her deputy, Kasymguly Babayev, have retained their 
positions, as well as the chairmen of three of the five major 
Mejlis committees.  Although biographic information is 
available for only about half the deputies, it is enough to 
conclude that the body will be dominated by the Democratic 
Party of Turkmenistan.  Deputies-elect largely came from the 
ranks of regional government, national unions, and state 
enterprises.  It is too early to tell whether the confluence 
of incumbent experience and continued party leadership, along 
with fresh regional government and representation from other 
sectors will cast the body in a new light when it meets on 
Friday.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  On December 22, Neytralniy Turkmenistan published 
the names and current positions of 123 new deputies elected 
to the Mejlis (parliament) on December 14.  Two 
representative districts did not report final winners.  In 
Lebap province, a runoff election was held on December 28 for 
two of the three candidates with the largest number of votes, 
and the winner was announced in a provincial newspaper on 
January 3.  In Mary province, a new deputy was successfully 
elected in the 101st district, but the deputy-elect 
immediately resigned, citing "family circumstances."  An 
election is scheduled for February 8. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  A Post review of available biographic data for 
about half of the 124 known deputies-elect indicates that 12 
incumbent deputies who served previously in leadership 
positions or on one of the Mejlis' five committees have been 
reelected, as well as one Mejlis staff person.  The 12 
include Chairman Nurberdiyeva and her deputy, Kasymguly 
Babayev, who is also First Secretary of the Democratic Party 
of Turkmenistan (DPT).  Also reelected were the chairs of 
three of the five major Mejlis committees--Maral Paltayeva, 
of the Social and Economic Policy Committee, Ahmed Chariyev, 
of the Committee on Local Councils, and Baymyrat Babayev, of 
the Science, Education and Culture Committee.  (NOTE:  The 
other two committees, Human Rights and Freedom, and 
International and Inter-parliamentary Relations, will get new 
chairmen.  END NOTE.)  Six other incumbents who served on 
Mejlis committees were also reelected. 
 
¶5.  (U)  Post was able to obtain biographic information for 
candidates representing Ashgabat city, Ahal and Lebap 
provinces printed only in provincial newspapers.  Post could 
not obtain biographic information on Balkan, Mary, and Balkan 
province candidates, although the current occupations of the 
deputies-elect were published in national newspapers.  (NOTE: 
 Bottom line, post has biographic information for 61 of the 
124 deputies-elect, and minimal information on the remaining 
¶63.  (Septels) END NOTE.) 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  It appears the new Mejlis will be dominated by the 
DPT.  Available information indicates that 77 percent of the 
61 new deputies for whom post has biographic information have 
an affiliation with the party, including Dashoguz's incumbent 
Deputy Chairman Babayev.   A significant number of new 
deputies came from regional governments, or were members of 
the national Halk Maslahaty (Peoples' Council).  Four were 
provincial administrators, 29 were district government 
officials, and eight served in the now-abolished Halk 
Maslahaty.  At least 22 of the new deputies are school 
principals or educators, and at least 13 had been 
functionaries in unions or other state organizations. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  COMMENT:   There appears to be many fresh new 
faces among the deputies, and could be a potential source of 
new ideas and perspectives as this new Mejlis goes forward. 
It is too early to tell, however, whether the confluence of 
 
ASHGABAT 00000024  002 OF 002 
 
 
incumbent experience and continued party leadership, along 
with substantial regional government and representation from 
other sectors will cast the body in a new light when it meets 
on Friday.  END COMMENT. 
MILES