Assembly of Turkmenistan

The Assembly ( tk, Mejlis) is since March 2021 the lower house of the National Council of Turkmenistan. It has 125 members, elected for five-year terms in single-seat constituencies.

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

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 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, the Prosecutor General, the minister for Internal Affairs, the minister for Justice.
*Establishes state awards, awards state decorations to the President of Turkmenistan, 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 Parliamentary Assembly and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

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 (12 November 2002 – 22 December 2006)
* Akja Nurberdiýewa (22 December 2006 – 30 March 2018)
* Gülşat Mämmedowa (30 March 2018 – present)

See also

*National Council of Turkmenistan
*People's Council of Turkmenistan
*Politics of Turkmenistan
* 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

References

External links

TÜRKMENISTANYŇ MEJLISI

{{Authority control

Turkmenistan
Politics of Turkmenistan
Political organizations based in Turkmenistan
1938 establishments in the Soviet Union
1992 establishments in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan