Ašgabat, elections: Parliament rejuvenated. Goal to fight 'magic'

Some 41% of elected deputies are under 40 years of age. Women make up 26% of the members of the Medžlis. Country still under the control of the Berdymukhamedov family. Population anxious about the economic situation seeks the solution to problems in magic. Discontent with politics and the organs of power.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - "Approximately 41% of the elected deputies are under 40 years of age," explained Gulmyrat Mjradov, chairman of the Turkmen Central Election Commission, also noting that the share of women in the Ašgabat parliament exceeded a quarter of the total.

Parliamentary and local elections were held in Turkmenistan on 26 March, and the electoral authorities referred the results to the Council of Ministers, TurkmenPortal reported.

Mjradov highlighted the rejuvenation of the parliamentary body: 'In our country there is a great respect for women, who make up 26 per cent of the deputies in Medžlis. He is also comforted by the even larger female quota in the Khalk Maslakhaty of the 'velayat', the regional parliaments, where it reaches almost 30%, as well as in the 'etrapy' (municipalities), and in the 'gengešy' (territorial popular assemblies).

Of the 258 parliamentary candidates, 125 were elected: 65 from the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, 18 from the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, 24 from the Agrarian Party, and 18 independent candidates from civic lists. In this way,

Turkmenistan offers a composite picture of 'social' and representative democracy of all categories, although one cannot even remotely speak of opposition to the regime of the Berdymukhamedov family, which controls all power structures.

On the other hand, the new regional parliaments have already identified the first enemies to fight for the good of Turkmen society: fortune-tellers and healers, to whom the Balkan velayat has begun to demand some form of licence to exercise the 'profession', imitated by other local administrations.

The measures against fortune-tellers and witch doctors had begun to tighten as the economic crisis of recent years worsened, and now attempts are being made to curb the anxiety of the population, which seeks in magic the solution to problems that does not seem to come from politics.

In the cities of Maktumkuli and Turkmenbaši, the collaborators of the security forces started to carry out sweeping checks in the homes of the 'gadalki', the haruspices, and the 'tebibi' (folk doctors), holding 'clarifying conversations' with them, as reported by Radio Azatlyk correspondents.

Shamans are expected to submit to special checks by state bodies, in order to obtain official permission to continue their activities. The problem, the Azatlyk reporters point out, 'is that such an organ does not exist in Turkmenistan', and it will be one of the first tasks of the 'young politicians' to deal with it.

Esoteric and magical activities are not banned by Turkmen legislation, although a 'publicity' law had been passed in 2016 that prohibited advertising these kinds of services, including 'extrasensory and astrological' services, or anyone finding a way to activate 'supernatural forces or energies'.

The police have issued several arrest warrants in recent times for 'imposing evil spells and curses on people', and more generally for 'negative influence on the country's economy', a motive that is very difficult to prove in court, where prophets of doom often manage to get away with it.

There is no doubt that the various types of sorcerers, increasingly popular in Turkmenistan, take advantage of the good faith of the people, who are often in the grip of despair due to the daily difficulties of social life, the enormous unemployment rate, and the inefficiency of the health system. The evil eye to be cast on one's adversaries is increasingly in demand, underlining a latent unease and conflict that cannot be expressed in public form, due to total control by state bodies.

The girls ask to obtain the hand of the richest men, in a ruthless competition that destroys the harmony of families, and for this they demand between 5 and 10 thousand manat (1,000-2,000 euro), much more than the average person's salary, ensuring the magicians tens of thousands in earnings. The girls for these sums are given lucky charm amulets, made from the earth collected from cemeteries.