23. Is there a ban on political parties engaging in commercial activities?

Article 28. Economic activity of political parties

1. Political parties are independent in economic activities, carried out for the purpose of material support of their tasks, including the solving of issues of entrepreneurship, the receipt of financial resources and the acquisition of other property, wage issues solution, and implement it in accordance with the legislation of Turkmenistan, the Charter and the Program. Political parties are entitled to perform charitable activities.

2. In order to achieve the goals and solve the tasks specified in the Charter and the Program, political parties can engage with the following types of entrepreneurial activity in accordance with the established procedure:

1) production of information, advertising, printing and printing activities to promote views, goals and objectives, to publicize the results of their activities;

2) the production and sale of symbols, souvenirs, gifts, as well as printed and printed products;

3) sale and lease of property in their ownership.

3. Political parties have no right, except as provided in part two of this article, to act as founders of commercial organizations, to profit from shares and securities or engage in other types of business.

4. Profits from the entrepreneurial activity of political parties can not be distributed among their members and is used only for purposes stipulated by the Charter.

5. The results of economic activities of political parties in accordance with the established procedure shall be indicated in the final financial report.

6. Financial assets, property and other profits received from unauthorized sources are transferred to the State Budget of Turkmenistan.

(Law of Turkmenistan on Political Parties, 2012 available at http://asgabat.net/stati/zakonodatelstvo-turkmenistana/zakon-turkmenistana-o-politicheskih-partijah.html  accessed January 2018).