Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 17
By Huseyn Valiyev - Trend:
Turkmenistan will set up a commission on improvement of the constitution in accordance with a decree of the country's president.
Turkmen parliament's chairperson Akja Nurberdieva was instructed to review the organizational issues, Turkmen government said Saturday, May 17.
Turkmenistan's government also said the president announced the decision to set up the commission at an expanded meeting of the cabinet of ministers.
This measure is being taken to develop and generalize the scientifically and practically grounded proposals on improving the country's main law - the constitution - with respect to harmonizing the national legislation with the international standards, according to the decree.
"Drawing the meeting's attention to the significance of holding constitutional reforms in the country, the president stressed that such a need arose long ago," Turkmen government said.
The president also said the constitution should reflect large-scale socio-political transformations taking place in the country.
"It is planned to create a position of a plenipotentiary representative on human rights as part of the upcoming reforms," he said. "It is also necessary to expand the powers of self-government bodies."
"Particular attention should be paid to strengthening the judicial protection of the human rights and freedoms," the president added. "It is necessary to improve the mutual responsibility of the individual and the state."
"The main purpose of holding the constitutional reforms is to strengthen the state sovereignty," he said. "These reforms will allow determining the new directions of the country's socio-economic development and creating the civil society."
The first stage of reforms was conducted in 2008. The basic law was amended and changed. A new edition of the Constitution was approved. Then the need for constitutional reforms was connected with increasing the rates of ongoing socio-economic reforms and a transition to the market relations.
"President Berdimuhamedov emphasized that the country is currently entering a market economy," according to the government. "The principles and values of the civil society are being realized."