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Turkmenistan elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The Elections in Turkmenistan have been widely criticized for being completely fraudulent and attempting to give an appearance of legitimacy to what is in reality a dictatorship. Parties in Turkmenistan are the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan and the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Both president and Assembly have a five-year term.
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Presidential elections
On declaring independence from the Soviet Union, the president was to be elected for a five-year term by the people. President Saparmurat Niyazov, was elected unopposed on 21 June 1992. In a referendum in January 1994, it was decided that he would be president for eight more years. In 1999, the country's parliament decided that he would be president for life. He died on 21 December 2006. An election to replace him was held on 11 February 2007.
Legislative elections
Turkmenistan elects a legislature on a national level. The Assembly (Mejlis) has 125 members, elected for a five-year term in single seat constituencies. Political parties are the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan and the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. All candidates at the elections of 7 April 2003 (which had a turnout of 89.3%) belonged to the DPT. The Khalk Maslakhaty (People's Council) which is considered the ultimate representative body, has more than 2,500 members; it was abolished in late 2008.