UNDP FACILITATING ELECTORAL REFORM IN TURKMENISTAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001337 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2018 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM TX SUBJECT: UNDP FACILITATING ELECTORAL REFORM IN TURKMENISTAN ONE STEP AT A TIME REF: ASHGABAT 1308 Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: UNDP has been conducting a variety of elections-related seminars focused on raising government officials' awareness of international election standards and proper election procedures. The training is considered to be a crucial first step in reforming election processes and election laws to bring the country into conformance with international election standards in the longer term. While there will be little visible change to election processes before the December parliamentary elections, a full review of Turkmenistan's election laws is to begin shortly thereafter, and UNDP has been tapped to work with the Turkmen on this project. Like everything here, however, change will come, but slowly. END SUMMARY. ELECTION TRAINING FOCUSES ON MECHANICS ¶2. (C) UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Inita Paulovica shared some insights with poloff on October 3 regarding UNDP projects related to improving Turkmenistan's election environment. She described her agency's Electoral Assistance Project as a first step and part of an ongoing dialogue to help Turkmenistan get closer to meeting international standards in the conduct of elections. UNDP sponsored a publicized roundtable forum on September 19 that brought together recent Turkmen government election seminar participants to discuss lessons learned and potential steps forward. Some roundtable participants had just returned from a trip to Latvia where they had observed election processes in that former Soviet state. ¶3. (C) UNDP's Electoral Assistance Project consists of general training for central and provincial government officials on the mechanics and procedures for conducting national elections. Paulovica noted that UNDP has also been holding training events for Central Election Commission ("CEC") representatives to familiarize them with internationally recognized election standards, and has been distributing a procedural manual on the same subject. UNDP recently trained CEC representatives and provided them with additional materials to enable them to train their own subordinates and eventually election officials in the provinces. ¶4. (C) UNDP also has plans to sponsor a training seminar ;for national election observers, who would be given the skills to help ensure that proper election procedures are being followed. The seminar will train an initial 60 observers, who will come from national and provincial government bodies and other governmental organizations. The initial 60 trainees will then go out to the provinces and train others. The final phase of the project envisions a training seminar for as many as 2,000 Turkmen citizens on election processes. (COMMENT: Paulovica separately told Charge that this training is important, because Turkmen observers have absolutely know idea what to do. END COMMENT.) ¶5. (C) Paulovica said that once these seminars have been completed, the project has the potential to enter into a new phase. The government of Turkmenistan, however, will have to show signs of intent to make progress on election reform for UN Political Affairs officials to approve the project's transition to a new phase. Political Affairs representatives will soon be coming to Ashgabat to assess progress. One aspect of a new phase is expected to touch on much more politically-related elements of elections, such as campaigning. ELECTION LAW REVISION, BUT AFTER ELECTION ¶6. (C) The Turkmen government promised UNDP representatives ASHGABAT 00001337 002 OF 002 that it would revise its election-related legislation and consolidate it into one legal code. UNDP will work with the Turkmen on this project starting in 2009. There was never a possibility of revising it before the December 2008 Mejlis (parliament) elections, due to the demands of the constitutional revision undertaken this year. Paulovica explained to Charge that the reason why the Turkmen had decided to work with UNDP rather than with OSCE on election law (reftel). When OSCE had submitted its assessment of Turkmen election law, it had sent it to President Berdimuhamedov, instead of Institute for Democracy and Human Rights Head Shirin Akhmedova or Deputy Chairman/Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, either of whom would have at least had a serious discussion of the report. Berdimuhamedov viewed the assessment as a criticism of Turkmenistan , which meant that the government viewed the report as "unacceptable." Paulovica added that UNDP has a different mandate from OSCE and works in "development." It may prod and encourage, but in the end will only go as far or as fast as the country wants. Therefore, working with UNDP in this area is likely to be conflict and embarrassment free for the Turkmen. ¶7. (C) Paulovica noted that Turkmen officials were planning to draft several minor revisions to the existent Mejlis election law necessary for the upcoming election. Changes would include provisions for the larger number of deputies, which will increase from 65 to 125, dates of specific electoral processes, opening and closing times of poll stations, and so on. (NOTE: It does not appear that any revisions with political ramifications will be considered, in particular, the need to re-draw administrative lines for constituencies. According to the Constitution, each district that constitutes the area represented by a deputy must contain roughly the same number of voters. With 60 more deputies than before, a significant re-drawing of lines will certainly be required. END NOTE.) ¶8. (C) The government plans to begin the process of revising and consolidating its election legislation after the Mejlis elections in December are over. A commission to oversee the work will be formed in the Mejlis soon after, and it will be tasked with completing its work before Gengesh (provincial council) elections take place in summer 2009, Paulovica noted. She said that UNDP is hoping to play a role in this process as well. UNDP, unlike OSCE, has a mandate that would permit it to bring in an international electoral expert to assist the commission with the revision work, presuming the government's consent. ¶9. (C) COMMENT. Although UNDP is making progress in educating Turkmen officials on the institutional mechanisms for elections that would meet international standards, facilitating the reform and consolidation of the country's election laws would be a true mark of progress. With only the goal of completing this effort prior to summer Gengesh elections, however, the work is likely to go slowly. END COMMENT. CURRAN