Turkmen president says constitution needs improvement

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Turkmen president says constitution needs improvement

ASHGABAT. March 2 (Interfax) - The Turkmen constitution needs an improvement, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper quoted Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow as saying in view of an early presidential election.

"I believe it is necessary to draft proposals on an improvement of the Turkmen constitution in a new era of the fatherland's development - the renaissance of a new era of a powerful state - in order to reconcile norms and principles of our fundamental law with the spirit and requirements of the new era," Berdimuhamedow said in a statement published by the newspaper on Wednesday.

The president put forward the proposal at a meeting with the Halk Maslahaty, or the People's Council, the upper chamber of the national parliament, and the Mejlis, the lower chamber.

Berdimuhamedow believes that constitutional amendments should address the activity of government agencies and review their rights, duties, and powers.

"It is particularly important to make another detailed analysis of global practices and norms and principles of constitutional laws. An improvement of the activity of government agencies and a revision of their rights, duties and powers should be the focal point of the proposals," he said.

Berdimuhamedow, who has been serving as the Turkmen president for 15 years, said on February 11 he would be replaced by a younger leader but would remain Halk Maslahaty chairman. The president tasked the Central Elections Commission with preparing for an early presidential election. The Mejlis scheduled an early presidential election for March 12.

The Central Elections Commission registered nine presidential candidates, including six nominated by campaign groups in five regions and in Ashgabat, and three nominated by the Democratic Party, the Agrarian Party and the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

The obvious leader of the presidential race is Serdar Berdimuhamedow, 40-year-old son of the incumbent president, Deputy Prime Minister, and nominee of the Democratic Party.