Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT827
2008-07-07 06:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES REJECT
how-toVZCZCXRO0636 PP RUEHAG RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHAH #0827 1890641 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 070641Z JUL 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1096 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3974 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1791 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1658 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 2227 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0821 RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 2657 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000827
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM OSCE TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES REJECT
ODIHR ASSESSMENT OF OLD ELECTION LAWS
Classified By: CDA Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4 (b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000827
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM OSCE TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES REJECT
ODIHR ASSESSMENT OF OLD ELECTION LAWS
Classified By: CDA Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) Local OSCE Human Dimension Officer Benjamin Moreau
told PolOff June 25 that OSCE had recently held a meeting
with Institute for Democracy and Human Rights Director Shirin
Akhmedova and other government officials to discuss
Turkmenistan,s view of the draft election law assessment
that the OSCE's Office for Democratic Initiatives and Human
Rights (ODIHR) completed in April. Moreau said that OSCE had
expected to hold a discussion on the draft to determine how
ODIHR might be able to assist the government in finding some
initial areas for potential cooperation to revise national
election legislation. ODIHR had also optimistically planned
to release the report publicly in July.
2. (C) However, Moreau said, the ODIHR draft assessment was
very poorly received. More than two months after receiving
it, Akhmedova told OSCE reps that the assessment as a whole
was far too critical and completely unacceptable as a basis
for further cooperation with OSCE and ODIHR. She then pushed
the draft back across the table to the OSCE representatives,
without markup. Moreau said that OSCE officials were
shocked. Nevertheless, they are regrouping and will try to
determine how to re-engage the Turkmen again on ODIHR,s
suggestions. ODIHR representatives, he said, have scrapped
plans to release the assessment.
3. (C) The assessment reviewed all national legislation
related to elections at all levels of government, and
identified six major problems in both the constitution and
national legislation, including the lack of legislation or
constitutional foundation facilitating the nomination of
independent candidates, and the lack of an election
administration that is pluralistic and independent of the
executive branch. It also made 18 general reform
recommendations that focused on establishing pluralism,
reducing national government influence on the election
process, and improving transparency.
4. (C) COMMENT: While no one disagrees that election
legislation here is problematic, the ODIHR assessment may
have been too direct, comprehensive, and critical. We would
also not that the elderly chairman of the election commission
is one of the oldest of the Communist dinosaurs still left in
the government. Although the government appears committed to
gradually improving the human rights situation here, it
probably views large-scale democratic reform as potentially
destabilizing. Pluralism and the nomination of independent
candidates is still a long way off. OSCE may be more
successful if it proposes some basic initial steps and links
them to potential cooperation rather than focus on the end
game of a fully functioning democracy. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM OSCE TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES REJECT
ODIHR ASSESSMENT OF OLD ELECTION LAWS
Classified By: CDA Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) Local OSCE Human Dimension Officer Benjamin Moreau
told PolOff June 25 that OSCE had recently held a meeting
with Institute for Democracy and Human Rights Director Shirin
Akhmedova and other government officials to discuss
Turkmenistan,s view of the draft election law assessment
that the OSCE's Office for Democratic Initiatives and Human
Rights (ODIHR) completed in April. Moreau said that OSCE had
expected to hold a discussion on the draft to determine how
ODIHR might be able to assist the government in finding some
initial areas for potential cooperation to revise national
election legislation. ODIHR had also optimistically planned
to release the report publicly in July.
2. (C) However, Moreau said, the ODIHR draft assessment was
very poorly received. More than two months after receiving
it, Akhmedova told OSCE reps that the assessment as a whole
was far too critical and completely unacceptable as a basis
for further cooperation with OSCE and ODIHR. She then pushed
the draft back across the table to the OSCE representatives,
without markup. Moreau said that OSCE officials were
shocked. Nevertheless, they are regrouping and will try to
determine how to re-engage the Turkmen again on ODIHR,s
suggestions. ODIHR representatives, he said, have scrapped
plans to release the assessment.
3. (C) The assessment reviewed all national legislation
related to elections at all levels of government, and
identified six major problems in both the constitution and
national legislation, including the lack of legislation or
constitutional foundation facilitating the nomination of
independent candidates, and the lack of an election
administration that is pluralistic and independent of the
executive branch. It also made 18 general reform
recommendations that focused on establishing pluralism,
reducing national government influence on the election
process, and improving transparency.
4. (C) COMMENT: While no one disagrees that election
legislation here is problematic, the ODIHR assessment may
have been too direct, comprehensive, and critical. We would
also not that the elderly chairman of the election commission
is one of the oldest of the Communist dinosaurs still left in
the government. Although the government appears committed to
gradually improving the human rights situation here, it
probably views large-scale democratic reform as potentially
destabilizing. Pluralism and the nomination of independent
candidates is still a long way off. OSCE may be more
successful if it proposes some basic initial steps and links
them to potential cooperation rather than focus on the end
game of a fully functioning democracy. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND