Turkmenistan moves towards multi-party system
ASHGABAT. Aug 21 (Interfax) - The first step towards the creation of a multi-party system has been made in Turkmenistan with the creation of the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
A unanimous decision to form the party was made at the congress of small and mid-sized businesses involving representatives of public organizations and the country's mass media, which was held in Ashgabat on Tuesday.
A total of 300 delegates representing businesses from all over Turkmenistan took part in the foundation congress of the new party, the State Information Service has reported. The congress participants approved the party's charter and program and elected the party's chairman and members of its Central Council.
The Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs is led by Orazmemmed Mamedov, senior expert with the Turkmen Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
In the history of its independence, Turkmenistan has had only one officially registered party, the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, which was led by Turkmenistan' first president Saparmurat Niyazov. After Niyazov died, he was replaced with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who took office in February 2007. Since the first days of his presidency, Berdimuhamedow made statements about the possibility of a multi-party system being created in Turkmenistan. However, he always emphasized that the Democratic Party will always be the ruling party.
In May 2012, the Turkmen parliament began working on the draft law On Political Parties passed in early 2012 on Berdimuhamedow's order.
An agrarian party is expected to be created in Turkmenistan in the nearest future.
