FINAL TURKMENISTAN CONSTITUTION LIKELY TO CONTAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001167 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PHUM TX SUBJECT: FINAL TURKMENISTAN CONSTITUTION LIKELY TO CONTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REF: A. ASHGABAT 1100 ¶B. ASHGABAT 1026 Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Institute for Democracy and Human Rights Director Shirin Akhmedova recently told UNDP's senior representative that the government is seriously considering recommendations the international community passed it on August 20 and may well accept most of them. With acceptance of many of these recommendations, as well as additional amendment proposals some government ministries submitted after the draft was published, the constitution that is ultimately adopted on September 26 could be much closer to international standards and substantially different than the July 22 draft. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) During a diplomatic reception September 3, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Inita Paulovica told emboffs that she had run into Institute for Democracy and Human Rights Director Shirin Akhmedova in the Istanbul airport earlier in the week. Paulovica asked Akhmedova how things were going with the revision of the national constitution. Akhmedova responded that everything was on schedule for the constitution's adoption and unveiling during the Halk Maslahaty (People's Council) session scheduled for September ¶26. ¶3. (C) Akhmedova told Paulovica that she believed that the government would likely accept almost all of the recommended changes the international community had suggested in a document that UNDP had informally given to Akhmedova on August 20 (Ref A). She said the international community's 24 recommendations had been passed to the Constitutional Commission, where final evaluations were underway. (NOTE: Akhmedova is a member of the Constitutional Commission. END NOTE.) Paulovica was extremely pleased and surmised that Akhmedova may have been receptive to the suggestions because of the manner in which the UN had informally delivered the comments, without pressure and without expectation. ¶4. (C) In an earlier meeting with poloff on August 6, Law Professor Murad Haitov had said that working groups in the Mejlis (parliament) had been assessing about 100 proposed amendments to the July 22 draft that had originated in the ministries (Ref B). The most significant proposals focused on court procedures, local government operations, the operations of local self-government entities, and on strengthening the language on the basic rights of citizens. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: If proposals by the international community are adopted, the final constitutional text is likely to be much closer to international standards than the original draft text was, and this will be a sign that the government saw the value of external input to the process. Between changes made as a result of the international community's recommendations and proposals the various ministries have suggested during the evaluation process, the final constitutional text could be substantially different than the published July 22 draft. END COMMENT. CURRAN