STATEMENT OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TURKMEN DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION
6/10/02

1. In a meeting held in Vienna, the representatives of the Turkmen democratic opposition condemned the repressive and anti-democratic policy of the regime of the President of Turkmenistan, S. Niyazov.

The dictatorial regime is holding the Turkmen people in a constant state of fear and in absolute isolation from the world community. Human rights and freedoms are grossly violated in the country, and unlawfulness takes control over everything. The Turkmen administration is not able to estimate the situation adequately and exercises its own experienced instruments: intimidation, terror, arrests, false promises, hypocrisy and demagogy in international relations, and harsh persecution of the representatives of the democratic opposition. Illegal operations with drugs, corruption and the lack of social protection of the people pose a real threat to the national and regional security. Today the Turkmen population is in real need of assistance and support, as never before.

Niyazov's regime and his presidential competences are illegitimate, which gives the democratic opposition in co-operation with international partners the ability to overthrow S. Niyazov from his post. The representatives of the Turkmen democratic opposition consider it necessary for international organizations, and first of all for the OSCE, to take certain measures for bringing the Turkmen administration to the fulfillment of international obligations in the field of human rights and freedoms, including the measures to deprive Niyazov's regime of the membership in such organizations due to their gross violations of the basic principles of those international institutions.

2. Being conscious of the historical responsibility before the Turkmen people, the representatives of the Turkmen opposition decided to consolidate all their forces in order to provide for the observance of the constitutional rights and freedoms of the Turkmen people, to fulfill international principles and standards in the field of human rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech and mass media, freedom of association, belief, and participation in governance. The representatives of the Turkmen opposition decided to form a Coordinating-consultative body of the opposition, called the "Round Table of the Turkmen democratic opposition".

3. "The Round Table" shall include: The United Turkmen democratic opposition composed of "Agzibirlik", The Russian Community of Turkmenistan, Communist Party of Turkmenistan, Social-Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, The Board of Veterans of the Turkmen international warriors, the Turkmen diaspora in Afghanistan and the Turkmen diaspora in Iran; the National Patriotic Movement of Turkmenistan, NDMT (National Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan, and the Popular social movement "Mertebe".

4. The Consultative-coordinating Board "Round Table of the Turkmen opposition" can also include political parties, NGOs and citizens that are not in the existing political democratic opposition parties of Turkmenistan and that share the idea of forming a democratic independent Turkmenistan.

5. The "Round Table of the Turkmen opposition" made a decision to submit this Statement to the attention of the Turkmen people and to the world community.

Adopted 10.06.02
Vienna, Austria

Email this article
Posted July 8, 2002 © Eurasianet
http://www.eurasianet.org

	The Central Eurasia Project aims, through its website, meetings, papers, and grants, to foster a more informed debate about the social, political and economic developments of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is a program of the Open Society Institute-New York. The Open Society Institute-New York is a private operating and grantmaking foundation that promotes the development of open societies around the world by supporting educational, social, and legal reform, and by encouraging alternative approaches to complex and controversial issues. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Open Society Institute and are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.