The Assembly () is since January 2023 the unicameral legislature of Turkmenistan. Between March 2021 and 21 January 2023 it was 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 organised 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, the Assembly shared power with the People's Council. Between 2018 and January 2023, the People's Council was restored as a parliamentary body, an arrangement formalised 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 reorganised 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 Nurberdiýewa. In January 2023 both chambers of parliament proposed to abolish the People's Council (Halk Maslahaty) as a legislative organ, to reform it as an independent body, and to place all legislative authority in a unicameral Mejlis. A joint session of the National Council voted unanimously in favour of this on 22 January 2023, re-establishing a unicameral parliament with the Assembly as its sole chamber. Elections are scheduled on 26 March 2023 for the seventh session of the Mejlis. Powers and duties The Constitution of Turkmenistan stipulates that the assembly: Enacts laws, makes amendments and additions to the Constitution and laws, monitors their performance and their interpretation. Considers for approval the programme activities of the Cabinet of Ministers; Examines questions related to approval of the state budget of Turkmenistan and reports on its implementation. Considers