The state information agency TDH reported that on 25 September, in the course of the second session of the Khalk Maslakhaty (the People’s Council) President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov put forward a proposal to unite the Council and the Mejlis into a unified two-chamber Parliament.
Pursuant to the proposal, the Council will be an upper house of the Parliament.
The President ordered working out relevant amendments into the Constitution and presenting them for review at the next session of the Council in a year’s time.
According to the head of state, such fundamental changes will “create conditions for controlling over the execution of laws and the implementation of national programs” as well as “provide an opportunity to represent the interests of all groups of population”.
It is not specified why the existing multi-party Mejlis is unable to represent all groups of the society.The potential changes and re-distribution of powers between representatives of two chambers have not been reported.
It should be emphasized that the elections to the existing Khalk Maslakhaty are not held in a transparent manner. It is unknown who allocates the seats in the Council, who they are allocated to and what criteria are used.