Independence:
27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Constitution:
adopted 18 May 1992
Legal system:
based on civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President (Acting) and Chairman of the Cabinet of
Ministers Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMMEDOV; note - President Saparmurat
NIYAZOV died in office 21 December 2006 and Gurbanguly
BERDIMUHAMMEDOV was named his temporary replacement; the president
is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President (Acting) and Chairman of the Cabinet
of Ministers Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMMEDOV
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 21 June 1992; note - President NIYAZOV was
unanimously approved as president for life by the People's Council
on 28 December 1999; deputy chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers are
appointed by the president
election results: 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)
election results: Mejlis - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 50; note -
all 50 elected officials are members of the Democratic Party of
Turkmenistan and are preapproved by President NIYAZOV
note: in late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the powers of
the Mejlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme legislative
organ; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve the Mejlis, and
the president is now able to participate in the Mejlis as its
supreme leader; the Mejlis can no longer adopt or amend the
constitution, or announce referendums or its elections; since the
president is both the "Chairman for Life" of the Halk Maslahaty and
the supreme leader of the Mejlis, the 2003 law has the effect of
making him the sole authority of both the executive and legislative
branches of government
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small
opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries; the
two most prominent opposition groups-in-exile have been National
Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan (NDMT) and the United Democratic
Party of Turkmenistan (UDPT); NDMT was led by former Foreign
Minister Boris SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the
wake of the 25 November 2002 assassination attempt on President
NIYAZOV; UDPT is led by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is
based out of Moscow
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA