Excerpts from report by Turkmen TV on 14th December

Turkmen President Saparmyrat Niyazov has said the elections in Turkmenistan
increased the prestige of his country abroad. He also said that he will
increase the powers of the parliament, making it responsible for
"supervising the law" and making suggestions to the Cabinet of Ministers.
The president also announced that he is going to pardon 7,000 prisoners
from Iran, Afghanistan and other foreign countries, who will be released on
3rd January. Excerpts from his speech at the Cabinet of Ministers from the
14th December, broadcast that day by Turkmen TV, follow:

[Presenter] An expanded meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers [of
Turkmenistan] chaired by President Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy [Niyazov] of
Turkmenistan was held at the Turkmenbashy palace [in the Turkmen capital
Ashkhabad] today.

[President Niyazov in Turkmen] We have to discuss some organizational
measures before summing up eight years. We are on the threshold of the
Elders Council's [Congress] and the People's Council's meeting [on
27th-28th December]. But first, Murad [Karryyev, the Turkmen head of the
CEC], tell us about the recent [parliamentary] elections [on 12th
December], how the elections were conducted, what was the turnout, were
there any violations, how many people were elected and what about a repeat
ballot. Please brief us on its conduct.

[passage omitted: Karryyev reports elections as successful with 99.6 per
cent turnout; break in reception at this point]

[Niyazov] Thank you for your contribution. Please, pass on our gratitude to
those CEC members who worked well.
We have to consider those elected members [deputies] of the Mejlis
[parliament] who will enter the 21st century as Turkmenistan's chosen
representatives. They have to work harmoniously and without any conflict in
the 21st century. It is a legislative body. It supervises adopted laws. It
has to be responsible with executive bodies for failure to observe a law.
[passage omitted: recalls methods of the former Soviet deputies work; urges
newly elected deputies to organize good work]

We will determine salaries for the members [deputies] of the Mejlis
[parliament] and create good conditions. We will increase their powers and
responsibilities. You [Karryyev] have to continue and finish your work and
we will discuss with them these things then.

We will elect a head of the Mejlis at the Elders' Council [Congress] and
People's Council meeting [on 27th-28th December] and the People's Council
will approve the newly elected members [deputies] of the Mejlis. They
[deputies] will start work then.

[passage omitted: calls everybody to work well]

The law-enforcement bodies work is subordinate to the Cabinet of Minister.
But they have to get the Mejlis' consent and this will be introduced into a
new constitution. Changes will be introduced to the Mejlis. We will
increase the Mejlis's power. And that power is to supervise the law,
without interfering in the work of the executive state organs, ministries
and committees. It assesses their activities and enters the Cabinet of
Ministers with proposals on their shortcomings and on the implementation of
the law. The Cabinet of Ministers examines the Mejlis's proposals and
informs the Mejlis on measures taken and conclusions. It will be nonsense
if the Cabinet of Ministers heads the ministries and at the same time the
Mejlis, like in other states, calls and instructs the Cabinet of Ministers,
ministries and committees.

[passage omitted: everybody should know his duties]

The president, the Cabinet of Ministers and the legislative body-the Mejlis,
all three of them have to work as a single body in Turkmenistan. Because of
absence of conflict [in the work of those bodies] we are told that there is
no conflict there. They say that the Mejlis's rights are being decreased in
our country, or they say that the Cabinet of Ministers and president have
more rights. They want to share posts but nobody wants to share duties.
What kind of rights does anybody has? We will legalize it for ever at the
People's Council and at the Elders Council's [Congress's] meeting. We have
to adopt laws in order that one state body will never damage the other one
and disputes between them should not affect the people and divide the
people into groups. And God willing, we will adopt changes to the
constitution and amendments for the consideration of the People's Council.

We will adopt them after their approval by them [People's Council].
Now on the elections. The local administrations and the local electoral
commissions have worked well. We express our gratitude to all of them.
Those elections were very well organized and have once again raised
Turkmenistan's prestige in the world. Some people say that the OSCE did not
observe our elections. It was also said by the media of certain countries.
We announced that we were conducting those elections for our state and
people. As our state develops, we have been conducting elections based on
our main law - the constitution. We believed ourselves that we would
conduct elections honestly. And if we sent letters to other countries
asking: them to send observers, to observe our way of working and
conducting elections, it would only humiliate us. Other countries are
inviting [international observers] but we are not doing that. But some of
them [countries] say that they [international observers] are ignoring their
invitations due to their legal system. We are going our own way. Our
democracy is based on mutual consent and accord between the people and the
legislative body-the Mejlis, people and the president and the people and
state bodies. It has to be the root of Turkmenistan's main accord in the
21st century.

[passage omitted: the Turkmen people celebrated double holiday on 12th
December; recalls the Turkmens' history; salaries should be paid before the
New Year; souvenirs to be given to pupils, students and servicemen on the
eve of the new millennium; instructs officials on planting trees and
gardens, on environmental measures; demands law and order in the capital]
I will sign a resolution on an amnesty. We have to be well prepared for it.
The night of all nights [religious holiday in holy Ramadan] to be marked on
3rd January [2000]. You have to release all those who fall under amnesty
during 24 hours at the night of all nights. I will sign a resolution [on
amnesty] at the Elders Council's [Congress] meeting. In total 7,000
prisoners will be pardoned. Those imprisoned for repeated crimes from Iran,
Afghanistan and foreign countries are also to be released on the night of
all nights.

[passage omitted: local administrations ordered to provide those pardoned
with jobs and normal living conditions]
In six months the Internal Affairs Ministry will construct a new prison in
the Karakum desert which is 55km from here [Ashkhabad]. That prison will
have full utilities. Those who committed a grave crime, those whose crime
cannot be forgiven, will work there. There will be utilities and they will
serve their terms and redeem their crimes there in the Karakum desert.
[passage to end omitted: orders to organize holiday trade for the New Year;
urges to serve the Elders' Congress meeting well]

Source: Turkmen Television first channel, Ashkhabad, in Turkmen 1600 gmt 14
Dec 99
BBC Mon CAU 151299/** KG/AA