On 29 March, 2021 President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov held a session of the Cabinet of Ministers to sum up the results of the elections to a new chamber of Parliament, the Khalk Maslakhaty, the state information agency TDH reports.
Chairperson of Turkmenistan’s Central Election and Referendum Commission Gulmyrad Myradov said that the elections were acknowledged legitimate and extended greetings to the head of state for being elected a member of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Milli Gengesh.
Chairperson of Turkmenistan’s Majlis Gulshat Mammedova, the Interior Minister Rashid Meredov and other Deputy Prime Ministers also congratulated Berdymukhammedov on being elected. According to Mammedova, the incumbent President won a landslide victory with 100% of the votes.
It should be emphasized that pursuant to article 73 of the revised Constitution, adopted in September 2020, the President cannot be a member of Turkmenistan’s Milli Gengesh.
Milli Gengesh (the National Council) is the shared name of the Parliament, which consists of two chambers the Khalk Maslakhaty and the Majlis.
In other words, the incumbent head of state can act as neither a member of the Majlis nor a member of the Khalk Maslakhaty. Article 78 guarantees a seat in the new chamber of Parliament to all former presidents but Berdymukhammedov has not withdrawn from his office yet.
Article 87 prevents a member of the Majlis from concurrently holding the post of a Cabinet member, whereas the head of state is its Chairperson.
It should be pointed out that the Khalk Maslakhaty is made up of 56 members, 48 of whom represent five velayats and the city of Ashgabat and 8 more are appointed by the President.
As of 8 March, the incumbent President was not among 111 candidates who had registered for the elections.
In other words, Berdymukhammedov registered after the list of other candidates had been published or nominated himself.The post President Berdymukhammedov elected an MP in violation of the Constitution first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.