The Assembly ( tk, Mejlis) is since March 2021 the lower house of the
National Council of Turkmenistan
The National Council of Turkmenistan ( tk, Türkmenistanyň Milli Geňeşi) was Turkmenistan's bicameral national legislative body or parliament from March 2021 until January 2023. The upper chamber was the People's Council () and the lower ch ...
. It has 125 members,
elected for five-year terms in single-seat
constituencies
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...
.
Structure
In addition to the chairperson and deputy chairperson, the Mejlis is organized into committees, which include:
Protection of human rights and freedoms;
Regulation;
Science, education, culture and youth policy;
Economic issues;
Social policy;
International and inter-parliamentary relations;
Environmental protection, nature use and agro-industrial complex;
Working with local representative authorities and self-governing bodies.
History
![50 manat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/50_manat._T%C3%BCrkmenistan%2C_2014_b.jpg)
Originally, it shared power with the
People's Council. Since 2018, the People's Council has been restored as a parliamentary body, an arrangement that was formalized in 2020.
A 2003 law reduced the power of the Assembly and augmented that of the People's Council. This meant that until 2008 the Assembly could be legally dissolved by the People's Council, was led by the President, and was no longer able to amend the Constitution. Subsequently, the People's Council was demoted and reorganized into the Council of Elders by a new constitution drafted by
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow (born 29 June 1957), also known as Arkadag (Cyrillic: Аркадаг, "protector"), is a Turkmen politician who served as the second president of Turkmenistan from 2006 to 2022.
A dentist by profes ...
in 2008, making the Assembly/Mejlis the unicameral parliament again.
However, following the adoption of another new constitution in September 2016, President Berdimuhamedow issued a decree on 10 October 2017 transforming the Council of Elders back into the People's Council. The first meeting of the re-created upper chamber took place following the 2018 regional and local elections. Election to the upper chamber was held on 28 March 2021.
The current chairman of the Mejlis is
Gülşat Mämmedowa from 30 March 2018. She succeeded
Akja Nuberdiyeva.
Powers and duties
The Constitution of Turkmenistan stipulates that the assembly:
[Article 63 of the Constitution of Turkmenistan]
*Enacts laws, makes amendments and additions to the Constitution and laws, monitors their performance and their interpretation.
*Considers for approval the programme activities of the Cabinet of Ministers;
*Examines questions related to approval of the state budget of Turkmenistan and reports on its implementation.
*Considers the basic directions and programmes of political, economic and social development of the country.
*Determines whether to hold national referendums.
*Declare the election of the President of Turkmenistan, deputies of the Mejlis, members of the velayat, district, municipal representative bodies and the Gengeshes.
*Considers the recommendations of the President of Turkmenistan on the issues related to the appointment and dismissal of the Chairman of the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
, the Prosecutor General, the minister for Internal Affairs, the minister for Justice.
*Establishes state awards, awards state decorations to the
President of Turkmenistan
The president of Turkmenistan ( tk, Türkmenistanyň prezidenti), officially the president and chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, is the head of state and head of government of Turkmenistan. The president is also the supreme c ...
, assigns him the military ranks and distinctions.
*Determines conformity to or divergence from the Constitution and the normative-legal Acts by the state authorities and government.
*Ratifies and denounces international treaties.
*Considers questions related to change of state borders and administrative and territorial division of Turkmenistan.
*Examines the issues related to peace and security.
*Decides other questions in the competence of the Mejlis under the Constitution and laws.
The Mejlis belongs to the
OSCE
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...
Parliamentary Assembly and the
Inter-Parliamentary Union
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU; french: Union Interparlementaire, UIP) is an inter-parliamentary institution, international organization of national parliaments. Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and coop ...
.
List of chairmen
* Sakhat Muradow (18 November 1990 – 7 May 2001)
*
Raşit Meredow (7 May 2001 – 7 July 2001)
* Redzhepbay Arayow (7 July 2001 – 13 March 2002)
* Tagandurdy Hallyýew (13 March 2002 – 12 November 2002)
*
Öwezgeldi Ataýew
Öwezgeldi Ataýew ( rus, links=no, Овезгельды Атаев, Ovezgel'dy Atayev; born 1951) is a Turkmen politician. He was the chairman of the Assembly of Turkmenistan from 2002 to 2006. According to the Constitution of Turkmenistan, he w ...
(12 November 2002 – 22 December 2006)
*
Akja Nurberdiýewa
Akja Tajiyevna Nurberdiyeva or Akja Täjiýewna Nurberdiýewa (born 1957) is a Turkmen politician who has served as the Chairperson of the Assembly of Turkmenistan from 2006 to 2018. She replaced Öwezgeldi Ataýew
Öwezgeldi Ataýew ( rus, links ...
(22 December 2006 – 30 March 2018)
*
Gülşat Mämmedowa (30 March 2018 – present)
See also
*
National Council of Turkmenistan
The National Council of Turkmenistan ( tk, Türkmenistanyň Milli Geňeşi) was Turkmenistan's bicameral national legislative body or parliament from March 2021 until January 2023. The upper chamber was the People's Council () and the lower ch ...
*
People's Council of Turkmenistan
The People's Council of Turkmenistan ( tk, Halk Maslahaty, ɑlq mɑθlɑxɑt̪ɯ "People's Council") is the upper chamber of Turkmenistan's Parliament, the " National Council" ( tk, Milli Geňeş). It consists of 56 members, 48 elected from th ...
*
Politics of Turkmenistan
The politics of Turkmenistan takes place in the framework of a presidential system, presidential republic, whereby the President of Turkmenistan is both head of state and head of government. However, no true opposition parties are allowed; every ...
*
List of Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Turkmenistan
*
List of Chairman of the Assembly of Turkmenistan
*
List of legislatures by country
This is a list of legislatures by country. A "legislature" is the generic name for the national parliaments and congresses that act as a plenary general assembly of representatives and that have the power to legislate. All entities included in ...
References
External links
TÜRKMENISTANYŇ MEJLISI
{{Authority control
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...
Politics of Turkmenistan
Political organizations based in Turkmenistan
1938 establishments in the Soviet Union
1992 establishments in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...