Democratic Development in Turkmenistan

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Democratic Development in Turkmenistan
by Bahar Amangeldyeva

• 1st International Conference on National
  Democracies
• Yerevan, Armenia
• 3-7 July, 2006

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Flag description

• green field with a vertical red stripe near
  the hoist side, containing five tribal guls
  (designs used in producing carpets) stacked above
  two crossed olive branches similar to the olive
  branches on the UN flag a white crescent moon
  representing Islam with five white stars
  representing the regions or velayats of
  Turkmenistan appear in the upper corner of the
  field just to the fly side of the red stripe

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Geographical background of Turkmenistan

• Location Central Asia, bordering the Caspian
  Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
• Map references Asia
• Area total 488,100 sq km land 488,100
  sq km
• Area - comparative slightly larger than
  California
• Land boundaries total 3,736 km
• border countries
  Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379
  km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
• Climate subtropical desert
• Natural resources petroleum, natural gas,
  sulfur, salt
• Population 5,042,920 (July 2006 est.)
• Ashgabat- 727,700
• Turkmenabat- 213,500
• Dashoguz- 160,400
• Age structure 0-14 years 35.2 (male
  913,988/female 863,503) 15-64
  years 60.7 (male 1,501,486/female 1,557,155)
  65 years and over 4.1 (male
  79,227/female 127,561) (2006 est.)
• Nationality Turkmen (s)
• Ethnic groups Turkmen 85, Uzbek 5, Russian 4,
  other 6 (2003)
• Religions Muslim 89, Eastern Orthodox 9,
  unknown 2
• Languages Turkmen 72, Russian 12, Uzbek 9,
  other 7
• Literacy total population 98.8
  male 99.3 female 98.3 (1999 est.)
• Military branches Ground Forces, Artillery and
  Rocket Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces
  (2006)

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Governmental Structure

• Government type republic
• CapitalAshgabat
• Administrative divisions 5 provinces
  (welayatlar, singular - welayat)
• Ahal Welayaty (Ashgabat),
• Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat),
• Dashoguz Welayaty,
• Lebap Welayaty (Turkmenabat)
• Independence27 October 1991 (from the Soviet
  Union)
• Legal systembased on civil law system
• Suffrage18 years of age universal
• Executive branch chief of state President and
  Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Saparmurat
  NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990) head of
  government President and Chairman of the Cabinet
  of Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV cabinet Cabinet
  of Ministers appointed by the president
  Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without
  opposition percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV
  99.5
• Legislative branch under the 1992 constitution,
  there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral
  People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (supreme
  legislative body of up to 2,500 delegates, some
  of whom are elected by popular vote and some of
  whom are appointed meets at least yearly) and a
  unicameral Parliament or Mejlis (50 seats
  members are elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms) membership is scheduled to be
  increased to 65 seats elections People's
  Council - last held in April 2003 (next to be
  held December 2008) Mejlis - last held 19
  December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)
  Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are
  appointed by the president)
• Political parties and leaders Democratic Party
  of Turkmenistan or DPT

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Economical overview of Turkmenistan

• Turkmenistan is a largely desert country with
  intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and
  large gas and oil resources. One-half of its
  irrigated land is planted in cotton formerly it
  was the world's tenth-largest producer.
• GDP - composition by sector
• agriculture 26.9 industry 39.5
  services 33.6 (2005 est.)
• Agriculture - products cotton, grain livestock
• Industries natural gas, oil, petroleum products,
  textiles, food processing
• Exports - commodities gas, crude oil,
  petrochemicals, cotton fiber, textiles
• Imports - commodities machinery and equipment,
  chemicals, foodstuffs
• Imports - partners US 11.8, Russia 9.7, UAE
  9.2, Ukraine 9, Turkey 8.6, Germany 8, France
  5, Georgia 4.6, Iran 4.5 (2004)
• Currency (code) Turkmen manat (TMM)
• Currency code TMM
• Exchange rates in recent years the unofficial
  rate has hovered around 24,000 to 25,000 Turkmen
  manats to the dollar the official rate has
  consistently been 5,200 manat to the dollar
• Fiscal year calendar year

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Communication system in Turkmenistan

• Telephones - main lines in use 376,100 (2003)
• Telephones - mobile cellular 52,000 (2004)
  there are 4 mobile cellular providers (2006)
• Telephone system international country code
  -993 linked by cable and microwave radio relay
  to other CIS republics and to other countries by
  leased connections to the Moscow international
  gateway switch a new telephone link from
  Ashgabat to Iran has been established a new
  exchange in Ashgabat switches international
  traffic through Turkey via Intelsat satellite
  earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat
• Radio broadcast stations AM 16, FM 8, shortwave
  2 (1998) Radios1.225 million (1997)
• Television broadcast stations 4 (government
  owned and programmed) (2004
• Televisions 820,000 (1997)
• Internet country code .tm
• Internet hosts 557 (2005)
• Internet Service Providers (ISPs)1
• Internet users36,000 (2005)

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Transportation

• Airports39 (2005)
• Airports - with paved runways total 22 over
  3,047 m 1 2,438 to 3,047 m 10 1,524 to 2,437
  m 9 914 to 1,523 m 2 (2005)
• Airports - with unpaved runways total 17 1,524
  to 2,437 m 2 914 to 1,523 m 1 under 914 m 14
  (2005)
• Heliports1 (2005)
• Pipelines gas 6,549 km oil 1,395 km (2004)
• Railways total 2,440 km broad gauge 2,440 km
  1.520-m gauge (2004)
• Roadways total 24,000 km paved 19,488 km
  unpaved 4,512 km (1999)
• Waterways 1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal
  important inland waterways) (2006) Merchant
  marine total 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,870
  GRT/25,801 DWT by type barge carrier 1, cargo
  4, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1
  (2005)
• Ports and terminals Turkmenbasy

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Internal policies

• providing the people with a dignified standard of
  living, security, the rights and freedoms of
  citizens, and strengthened legal foundations of
  social life.
• Since 1993, Turkmenistan has provided its
  citizens, without charge, with gas, electrical
  energy, water, table salt, medical care, and
  educational opportunities. The free use by
  citizens of natural gas, electrical energy,
  drinking water, and salt was extended until 2020.
  
• Symbolic payments have been set for housing,
  telephone service, and public transportation, and
  virtually every year salaries, student stipends,
  pensions, and public assistance have increased.
• The country's workers annually receive paid
  vacations of 24 calendar days. Pregnancy and
  child care leave for women is paid for by the
  work place. For weddings and funerals, citizens
  are given time off from work with pay.
• Orphans are cared for with full state support.
• Apartment purchasing with 15-year credits with 3
  interest only

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Social Associations of Turkmenistan

• The Democratic Party
• The Council of Elders
• The Union of Women named Gurbansoltan-eje
• The Union of Youth named Makhtumkuli
• The Council of Veterans named Atamurat Niyazov
• The trade unions
• Non-governmental organizations
• social associations
• Professional and creative unions

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Education system

• Free access to education
• Equal opportunities in obtaining scholarships
• Equal opportunities for continuing education
• Reducing the number of those not completing
  school
• Equal access to sports activities
• Access to educational information on the family

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Other rights

• Right to work
• Application of identical criteria in hiring
• The right to a free choice of profession and type
  of work
• The right to equal compensation
• Right to social security
• Right to safe working conditions
• The right to travel and to choose a place of
  residence

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Youth participation in Democratization Process

• Participation at conferences and establishing a
  dialogue between young generation and adults
• Organization of the youth educational camps
• Involvement into various actions
• Working with Volunteers and as Volunteers
• Promoting an understanding of rule of law
• Attendance of round table discussions
• Expressing their thoughts and ideas in the essays
  through essay contests
• Etc

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Conclusion

• Stabilize the economic status of the government
• To build a society in which the people are able
  to identify their needs and participate in the
  planning processes that aim at addressing issues
  of their everyday livelihoods, those of poverty
  and their participation in the decision making
  processes at all levels, from household to
  community and from local and Central Government
  level.
• Education is the right of every human being, but
  proper education is the responsibility of the
  state.
• Promote a broad and long-term perspective on good
  governance and human development
• Participation at decision making process and
  educating people to build a democratic society is
  a right of every human being. Promote
  understanding of the right, but at the time,
  promote the understanding of the word
  responsibility
• Promote understanding of Democracy as the rule by
  the people (from the Greek demos, "people," and
  kratos, "rule").

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• THANK YOU FOR ATTENTION!

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• YOUR
• QUESTIONS ?