ID :
193815
Sat, 07/09/2011 - 09:15
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/193815
The shortlink copeid
Turkmen president calls on countrymen to start prepare for presidential vote
ASHGABAT, July 9 (Itar-Tass) - Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly
Berdymukhamedov said on Friday the country should begin getting ready for
the presidential elections in 2012.
"The task facing ministries and sectoral agencies, public
organizations and all citizens is to get well prepared for the
presidential elections and hold them at the highest level, in an
atmosphere of openness and transparency that will prove that democracy is
gaining in force," he said at a government session.
"Much has changed in our country and in the rest of the world since
the last elections (in February 2007)," he said. "And I can say with
confidence that we have arrived at the presidential elections with an
utterly changed mentality and new thinking."
He said he hailed a multi-party system in the country, which over the
20years of its independence has seen only one party, the Democratic Party
led by the president. "We have laid a legislative basis for a multi-party
system," he noted. "However we shall not be in a hurry to arbitrarily
create any parties. We shall not support unjustified reproduction of
parties. I believe two efficiently working parties enjoying popular
support and respect will suffice to ensure competition."
Berdymukhamedov for the first time openly voiced his stance on the
Turkmen opposition abroad. "We are not afraid of cooperation with groups
which call themselves opposition," he stressed. "If any of the opponents
want to take part in the forthcoming presidential vote, he can come to the
country. I guarantee that they, like other citizens of our country, will
enjoy equal possibilities to take part in the elections."
However, it is highly unlikely that any of the opposition leaders will
take the challenge. Most of them have been living outside the country for
more than 10 years, while the Turkmen constitution says a country's
president shall be "a Turkmen citizen not younger than 40 and not older
than 70 years of age, who speaks the state language and who has been
permanently living and working in the country for at least 15 years."
Berdymukhamedov said on Friday the country should begin getting ready for
the presidential elections in 2012.
"The task facing ministries and sectoral agencies, public
organizations and all citizens is to get well prepared for the
presidential elections and hold them at the highest level, in an
atmosphere of openness and transparency that will prove that democracy is
gaining in force," he said at a government session.
"Much has changed in our country and in the rest of the world since
the last elections (in February 2007)," he said. "And I can say with
confidence that we have arrived at the presidential elections with an
utterly changed mentality and new thinking."
He said he hailed a multi-party system in the country, which over the
20years of its independence has seen only one party, the Democratic Party
led by the president. "We have laid a legislative basis for a multi-party
system," he noted. "However we shall not be in a hurry to arbitrarily
create any parties. We shall not support unjustified reproduction of
parties. I believe two efficiently working parties enjoying popular
support and respect will suffice to ensure competition."
Berdymukhamedov for the first time openly voiced his stance on the
Turkmen opposition abroad. "We are not afraid of cooperation with groups
which call themselves opposition," he stressed. "If any of the opponents
want to take part in the forthcoming presidential vote, he can come to the
country. I guarantee that they, like other citizens of our country, will
enjoy equal possibilities to take part in the elections."
However, it is highly unlikely that any of the opposition leaders will
take the challenge. Most of them have been living outside the country for
more than 10 years, while the Turkmen constitution says a country's
president shall be "a Turkmen citizen not younger than 40 and not older
than 70 years of age, who speaks the state language and who has been
permanently living and working in the country for at least 15 years."
