Early presidential election, 12 March 2022

In accordance with its mandate and following an official invitation to observe the 12 March 2022 early presidential election in Turkmenistan, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) from 1 to 3 March. The NAM included Alexey Gromov, ODIHR Senior Election Adviser, and Dr. Martina Barker-Ciganikova, ODIHR Election Adviser.

The purpose of the mission was to assess the pre-election environment and preparations for the early presidential election. Based on this assessment, the NAM recommends whether to deploy an ODIHR election-related activity for the forthcoming election, and if so, what type of activity best meets the identified needs. Due to the global health emergency and consecutive introduction of restrictions on cross-border travel throughout the OSCE region, the ODIHR NAM was conducted remotely, using the means of information and communication technologies. This approach was chosen due to the current rules requiring a 14-day long quarantine of foreign travellers upon entry to Turkmenistan, but in-person visits remain the standard way for conducting the NAMs. Online meetings were held with officials from state institutions and the election administration, as well as with representatives of political parties, media, civil society and the international community. A list of meetings is annexed to this report.