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