Assembly of Turkmenistan
The Assembly () is since March 2021 the lower house of the National Council of Turkmenistan. It has 125 members, elected for five-year terms in single-seat constituencies. Structure. In addition to the chairperson and deputy chairperson, the Mejlis is organized into committees, which include: Protection of human rights and freedoms; Regulation; Science, education, culture and youth policy; Economic issues; Social policy; International and inter-parliamentary relations; Environmental protection, nature use and agro-industrial complex; Working with local representative authorities and self-governing bodies. History. Originally, it shared power with the People's Council. Since 2018, the  People's Council has been restored as a parliamentary body, an arrangement that was formalized in 2020. A 2003 law reduced the power of the Assembly and augmented that of the People's Council. This meant that until 2008 the Assembly could be legally dissolved by the People's Council, was led by the President, and was no longer able to amend the Constitution. Subsequently, the People's Council was demoted and reorganized into the Council of Elders by a new constitution drafted by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow in 2008, making the Assembly/Mejlis the unicameral parliament again. However, following the adoption  of another new constitution in September 2016, President Berdimuhamedow issued a decree on 10 October 2017 transforming the Council of Elders back into the People's Council. The first meeting of the re-created upper chamber took place following the 2018 regional and local elections. Election to the upper chamber was held on 28 March 2021. The current chairman of the Mejlis is Gülşat Mämmedowa from 30 March 2018. She succeeded Akja Nuberdiyeva. Powers and duties. The Constitution of Turkmenistan stipulates that the assembly: The Mejlis belongs to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Assembly of Turkmenistan