Berdymukhammedov's Required Reading

Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov is still removing the legacy of his predecessor Saparmurat Niyavov, but already showing signs of installing a parallel personality cult of his own:

Secondary school students in Turkmenistan returned from their New Year’s break to find a surprise waiting for them: a new collection of required reading material written by, or about, the country’s current president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov.

The Turkmen opposition website “Khronika Turkmenistana” reported about
the additions to the curriculum on January 14, when secondary school students returned to class after the break and were being introduced to Berdymukhammedov’s literary works that included “The Bird of Happiness” (I’m not making this up), “Living Legend,” and “A Good Name Remains Forever.” Also on the list is a book by author Tachmamet Jurdeko about the president, entitled “Dreams Come True,” and poems about Berdymukhammedov penned by poet Gozel Sagulyyeva.

Turkmen to Pay for Gas

Turkmenistan is going to start charging its citizens for their use of natural gas:

Turkmenistan's president said Saturday his government will begin installing gas meters in households, ending the unlimited supply of free gas to citizens in the energy-rich Central Asian nation.

President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov said during a televised address the government hoped the meters would encourage people to consume energy more efficiently, but neither he nor the country's state-owned gas company gave a timeframe or a reason behind the policy change. The government also didn't immediately reveal how much it will charge for gas.

The move comes in the wake of signs that Berdymukhamedov's authoritarian government sees the subsidized domestic energy market as too heavy an economic burden, and is making profitable energy exports a bigger priority.

The nation is estimated to have the world's fourth-largest natural gas reserves, and gas, electricity and water have been supplied free to households since 1993. In 2006, the same year Berdymukhamedov became president, the country's rubber stamp parliament voted to extend the free energy policy until 2030.

Berdymuhammadov Falls Off Horse

I don't actually care that the President of Turkmenistan fell off his horse, but others seem to.

Unbeknownst to outsiders, one of the riders is Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, and his horse, Berkarar, (Turkmen for "Mighty") is in the lead.

But as soon as he gallops across the finishing line of the one-kilometer race, Berkarar’s front legs buckle underneath him...

"He crossed the finish line and, as he crossed, he looked at the crowd with a big smile and, about 20 meters further, the horse stumbled probably on a soft spot in the sand and went down on his knees and, of course, stopped at that point. And so the president who was going quite fast moved on and fell in the sand."

As the Turkmen leader lies motionless, an announcer says, “Our beloved president was able to finish the race in first place.” But any pride Berdymukhammedov had in his victory is followed by a pretty spectacular fall.

Cult of the Protector

Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov's personality cult is growing in Turkmenistan:

"Berdymukhammedov, a dentist and the country's former health minister, also appears to share Niyazov's fondness for writing books. In his five years in office, his name has appeared on tomes covering subjects ranging from health care to his favorite horse breed, the country's famous Akhal-Teke.

"The president is reportedly about to launch a new book -- a spiritual guide for the Turkmen nation. According to media reports, the working title is either 'Turkmennama' (Book for Turkmens) or 'Adamnama' (Book for Humanity).

"The book would replace Niyazov's own work on the same subject, 'Rukhnama' (Book of the Soul), which was required reading in all Turkmen schools.

"Berdymukhammedov has also continued Niyazov's tradition of renaming streets, schools, and organizations after his relatives...

"Berdymukhammedov's personal tastes also have a habit of becoming national fetishes. Turkmen now celebrate the Day of Akhal-Teke, the horse breed he hails as the nation's 'pride and glory.'"

Last summer, explosions at Turkmenistan's Abadan military depot touched off a round of on-line citizen journalism, which the government swiftly moved to squelch. As reports on an increasing presidential personality cult started circulating soon after, I wondered if that might be connected, as hardliners within the government felt threatened by the miniscule opening that accompanied Berdymukhammedov's early years in power. That may still be the case, or it may have been a plan all along to set up the 2012 "presidential election," which the incumbent won yestereday with an authoritarian 97% of the vote.

Turkmen Wedding Plans

Early this past summer, I speculated that Turkmenistan might be moving decisively to a more open society, though in Turkmenistan that isn't saying much. Since then, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has made moves eerily reminiscent of life under his predecessor, such as writing a new national guidebook. The most recent is his requirements for newlyweds:

"Register marriage: check. Plant trees with the president in special wedding center park: check. Visit earthquake memorial: check. Visit Monument to the Constitution: check. Visit Monument to Independence: check. Visit...

"And the list goes on, part of new lengthy requirements laid out for newlyweds by the Turkmen ruler in remarks anticipating the October 28 grand opening of the 'Palace of Happiness' hotel complex.

"The detailed list of instructions has couples visiting a total of four memorials the day of their registration, far more than the one obligatory visit customary for newlyweds in the region...

"The new requirements are clearly meant to coincide with events celebrating the nation's 20th anniversary of independence on October 27 as well. The tree-planting ritual 'could start a new tradition to build family life and strengthen family values,' Berdymukhammedov was quoted as saying in an October 21 Turkmen State News Agency report."

The Turkmen were better off under the Soviets than in their first twenty years of independence.

Berdymuhammedov Replaces Niyazov

Gurbanguly Berdymuhammedov has obviously been President of Turkmenistan for several years, but is now taking more visible steps to develop a personality cult similar to, though hopefully not as extreme as, his predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov. Last week came news that the Council of Elders, a government advisory body, was planning to declare him "Arkadag," meaning "Protector," and also suggest that as the name of a new capital city. Now RFE-RL reports that he is producing a replacement for the Rukhnama:

"Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov will soon release a new 'spiritual guidebook' for the country that will replace the long-used 'Rukhnama' (Book of the Soul) of his predecessor, RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reports.

"Well-placed sources in the Turkmen intelligentsia told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that the book will either be called 'Turkmennama' (Book for Turkmen) or 'Adamnama' (Book for Humanity)...

"Gutliyev had written about the need for a new guidebook that will be essential for a 'new period in Turkmen history' -- since Berdymukhammedov came to power -- which state ideology describes as 'an era of Great Renaissance...'

"Meanwhile, Berdymukhammedov has ordered his cabinet to mark the 10th anniversary of 'Rukhnama' on September 12, the day it was launched in 2001.

"The guidebook was made a compulsory part of the curriculum at all levels of the country's educational system and it was expected to be prominently displayed in public places and kept in every home."

Again, we have to hope that Berdymuhammadov will be content with a more limited role for his own book.

(Crossposted to American Footprints)

Turkmen Internet Crackdown

Remember that outbreak of web-based citizen journalism following the explosions at Abadan in Turkmenistan? The government is pursuing the "culprints":

"After web users in Turkmenistan broke news of a major fire to the outside world, the country’s intelligence and police services have reacted by trying to hunt down those who dared to make their voices heard...

"A police officer said checks were being run on everyone with a mobile phone subscription and web access through the national provider company Altyn Asyr...

"Aware of the risks, Abadan residents began deleting any data on their phones that might get them into trouble.

"Seitnazar, who has two teenage children, said plainclothes officers had visited neighbours and confiscated phones and cameras from young people in each household...

"Freelance journalist Dovletmyrat Yazgulyev, who posted pictures and reports of the fire on his blog on the website of the Turkmen service of RFE/RL, was summoned by the regional police department for organised crime a week later.

"'I was given an official warning and told that if I did anything similar again, I would be prosecuted under articles 132 and 177 of the criminal code – for “dissemination of defamatory information in the media”, and “incitement on social, religious or ethnic grounds’, respectively – and sent to prison for five years,' Yazgulyev said in an interview for RFE/RL."

Change in Turkmenistan?

Is Turkmen society on the brink of major changes? After the 2006 death of "Turkmenbashi" Saparmurat Niyazov, new president Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov abolished many aspects of his predecessor's bizarre cult of rulership, but little seemed to change in the basic structures of power. In recent days, however, I've seen three articles which suggest major change might be in the works, albeit surely from a totalitarian cult state to just a normal dictatorship.

One of these I mentioned yesterday, and that is the invitation to opposition leaders to return home and stand for office:

"Berdimuhamedov expressed his willingness to cooperate with the opposition and allow them to participate in the presidential elections in February next year. 'We are ready for a dialogue with groups that identify themselves as ‘opposition.’ If any of them wish to participate in the upcoming presidential election, they can be sure to return to Turkmenistan. I guarantee that for them, as for the citizens of our country, equal opportunities will be created to participate in the elections,' Berdimuhamedov said during his meeting with government officials (www.turkmenistan.ru, July 9).

"Most Turkmenistan nationals interviewed by the Jamestown Foundation were skeptical about the president’s latest statement. Nevertheless, it has invigorated Turkmen opposition leaders currently living in exile in Europe. 'If this statement from Berdimuhamedov is genuine and he will fight for it to be implemented, it is hard to overestimate the statement’s importance,' according to the leaders of 'Vatan' opposition party Khudaiberdi Orazov and Republican Party of Turkmenistan 'Abroad' Nurmukhammet Khanamov (www.chrono-tm.org, July 11)."

RFE-RL is reporting that key leaders do plan to return if they receive an OSCE safe passage guarantee. RFE-RL also reports on an outbreak of citizen journalism covering the Abadan explosions:

"Privately owned media do not exist in the country. TV and radio are tightly controlled by the state, which also closely monitors citizens' contacts with the outside world. Even a disaster like this would normally go unreported.

"But this time, events took a different turn. One of the factors was the unprecedented activism of citizen journalists who reported the event to the outside world even as it was still unfolding -- in some cases risking their lives in the process. It's the first time in the history of Turkmenistan that anything like this has happened...

"But the reporting really got going with two pictures of the damaged buildings (posted later the same day) on the Turkmen version of the online social chat site teswirler.com.

"People: I just escaped from that place when the explosions started," wrote Jeronimo87, an apparent eyewitness to the explosion, in a comment posted on teswirler.com.

"The post continued, 'God keep us under his protection from what just happened. An artillery shell fell next to me. I barely escaped even with a car.'

"Another user, aylale, wrote: 'One of the [shells] fell on my relatives' home. Thank God that they were able to escape in time.'

"Other bloggers described families who'd lost their homes sitting by the side of the road.

"There were dozens of other comments posted on the website describing the event, and they've attracted dozens of responses."

Finally the government is moving to privatize housing, with Parliament taking up the legislation in June. All of these developments are huge in a country that only five years ago was run by a lunatic's whim with no dissent of any kind tolerated.

UPDATE: See Joshua Foust on the flowering on on-line networking in Turkmenistan.

(Crossposted to American Footprints)

Explosions and Openings

I wasn't expecting either explosions or promises to the opposition in Turkmenistan, but this month has seen both:

"On July 7 powerful explosions in Abadan shook Turkmenistan’s political landscape. Following clear attempts to cover up the incident, a few days later the Turkmen regime had to admit that the incident had caused 'some casualties.' Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demoted several government ministers, threatening them with a military tribunal.

"Ironically, on the day of the incident, Berdimuhamedov expressed his willingness to cooperate with the opposition and allow them to participate in the presidential elections in February next year. 'We are ready for a dialogue with groups that identify themselves as ‘opposition.’ If any of them wish to participate in the upcoming presidential election, they can be sure to return to Turkmenistan. I guarantee that for them, as for the citizens of our country, equal opportunities will be created to participate in the elections,' Berdimuhamedov said during his meeting with government officials (www.turkmenistan.ru, July 9)."

Wisely and predictably, opposition leaders don't fully trust the Turkmen government, and the official version of the Abadan explosions is widely doubted. The blasts were probably associated with weapons supplies, and Russian media reported casualty figures over 1000.

Internet in Turkmenistan

RFE-RL reports on the growth of the internet in Turkmenistan:

"During Niyazov's decades-long rule, the Internet was available only for a select few, mostly government officials and well-connected families in the capital, Ashgabat.

"Berdymukhamedov, in his first months of office, freed things up a bit, providing greater access to the Internet that led to the opening of dozens of Internet cafes in the capital and other regions.

"Now, the economy, corruption, and domestic finances are among popular topics on blogs and forums, and while the Turkmen president might be responsible for the newfound openness compared to his predecessor's rule, it does not spare him from criticism...

"Despite the small changes, Turkmenistan still has a long way to go in its on-line liberalization...

"For instance, Facebook and other social-networking sites such as the Russian Odnoclassniki (Classmates) are blocked, along with many foreign news sites and YouTube.

"Access to the net also comes at a high cost, placing the Internet beyond the reach of ordinary Turkmen citizens. An hour of surfing the net at an Internet cafe costs about $2.10, while surfing at home costs $0.42 per hour in addition to a monthly subscription fee of $4.20. Such prices are prohibitive in a country where, despite vast energy wealth, some 30 percent of the population lives in poverty, and the average monthly salary is about $200."

Despite those caveats, it would be difficult to overstate how remarkable this is. The background to the regime's decision to permit more internet access is probably an interest in economic development, but it does provide at least a small counter-public for the economic elites who can afford it and a chance for the regime to keep an eye on their concerns.

Cult of Berdymukhammedov

The rotating Turkmenbashi may have come down, but new statues are going up:

"Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov last week unveiled a new statue of his father, Malikguly Berdymukhammedov.

"The statue, which depicts the president's father sitting in an armchair with his hat on his lap, has been erected at Turkmenistan's Military Academy.

"It's not the first time Berdymukhammedov has honored his family members with a statue. Last September, a bust of the president's grandfather, Berdymukhamed Annaev, was unveiled in his native village of Yzgant...

"Berdymukhammedov doesn't have a giant gold statue of himself yet, but he has managed to author several books on medicine and Turkmen history and traditions."

We still need to see how far this goes, but the situation depresses me no matter what.

The Rotating Turkmenbashi

Turkmenistan's President Kurbanguly Berdymukhammedov is having one of his predecessor's most well-known statues removed:

"The removal of the statue and the 75-meter-tall Arch of Neutrality tower which it tops will 'improve the architectural image of Ashgabat,' state-run news agency Turkmen Khabarlary said late on Sunday.

"The 12-meter high gold-plated effigy, which rotates to face the sun, is one of the capital's main landmarks and can seen from almost anywhere in the city center. Berdymukhammedov first suggested removing it in 2008.

"A new, higher tower will be built in a southern suburb of the city to replace 'the tripod' -- a nickname Ashgabat residents have given to the old monument which stands on three legs."

Gulen Schools Watched

I've occasionally raised the Gulen Movement as an example of an Islamic activist group that hasn't had its due impact in the scholarly literature because it does not operate in the Arab world, nor is Arabic one of its more important languages. Much of its influence comes from its extensive network of schools around the world, especially in Turkic countries. Central Asian governments, however, are starting to look at them with suspicion:

"In Turkmenistan, education authorities have ordered Turkish lyceums to scrap the history of religion from curriculums.

"In the only Persian-speaking country in the region, Tajikstan, the government, as well as academics, are wary of the possible spread of pan-Turkic ideas. They fear that these schools promote Turkish influence and the Turkish language in their country.

"However, it is Uzbekistan that has taken the toughest stance toward Turkish schools. In 1999, Tashkent closed all Turkish lyceums after its relationship with Ankara turned sour.

"This year, the authoritarian Uzbek government headed by President Islam Karimov took things a step further by arresting at least eight journalists who were graduates of Turkish schools. The journalists were found guilty of setting up an illegal religious group and of involvement in an extremist organization...

"Uzbek officials have expressed suspicions that Turkish-school graduates in government offices and other key institutions use their positions to weaken the secular government. They charge that graduates of Turkish schools promote an aggressive form of Islam and even a role for Islam in political life."

The charges in the last quoted paragraph are ridiculous. These governments are worried about religious organizations they can't control, and will toss out the standard charges to justify their crackdown.

UPDATE: IWPR is also reporting on this.

(Crossposted to American Footprints)

More on Ashgabat Shootout

RFE-RL interviews a Turkmen opposition leader living in Ashgabat who has what seems like more on the recent shootout there:

"Nurmammedov's account of the fighting, based on conversations with Khitrovka residents, matches the account given by the Turkmen government and those who could hear the battle, including staff at the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat...

"But Nurmammedov's version of why the fighting started differs greatly from the government's story. He says that at the center of the conflict was a man named Khudaiberdy Amandurdyyev, known as 'Ajdar.'

"'According to witnesses, the incident started in early September, when Ramadan began. Ajdar organized a traditional feast and the police came and took away the mullah' to break up the feast, he says. 'After that, events progressed quickly. Ajdar [then] hid from the police because they were searching for him.'

"Amandurdyyev was first arrested in July 1995 after taking part in an antigovernment demonstration. The protest is well remembered, especially since the government at the time tried unconvincingly to brand the protesters as 'alcoholics and drug addicts.' Nurmammedov says Amandurdyyev was released after a few years in prison and was then kept under tight surveillance by the security services."

You'll have to click through to find the rest.

Clash in Ashgabat

No one has a clear idea of exactly what happened in Ashgabat a few days ago, but the Jamestown Foundation rounds up the state of reporting:

"The overall picture of the incident involved an armed group being confronted by security forces. Eyewitnesses told the Associated Press that the streets around the area where the fighting occurred were patrolled by armored personnel carriers (APCs). Others reported seeing tanks in the streets. The response seemed disproportionate and in all likelihood poorly organized. Russian press reports suggested that Islamic terrorists were involved and had seized a drinking water plant. They were reportedly fired on by tanks and APCs, with the precaution being considered of closing the local airport. The following day, the area was patrolled by APCs and security personnel; but by evening the situation had returned to normal. An opposition website alleged that up to 20 Turkmen police officers had been killed and their bodies taken in secret to hospitals in Ashgabat (Ekho Moskvy Radio, Vremya Novosti, AP, www.gundogar.org, September 14).

"Additional reporting seemed to corroborate that a building or plant had been seized in the capital by an armed group that took some hostages and that security forces had later stormed the building, resulting in casualties on both sides. The official explanation for the incident, however, is that it involved only armed drug dealers. No explanation was given for why they had taken hostages, the sequence of events, or why the security forces had deployed in such strength against lightly armed targets. Nor was there any reliable information about casualties, with reports varying between 20 Turkmen security personnel killed to about nine on each side with as many injured."

Shootout in Ashgabat

Last night saw a shootout in Turkmenistan's capital between security forces and unknown gunmen:

"Reports say a deadly shootout took place overnight in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat between members of an unidentified group and security forces. The U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat has confirmed a shootout in the city occurred but no further details are immediately available.

"RFE/RL's Turkmen Service says there are reports of dead and wounded on both sides. Government-controlled Turkmen media have not provided any information.

"Halmurad Glychdurdy, an RFE/RL correspondent living in the Turkmen capital, says he heard the shooting and explosions all night long.

"'I heard myself all the explosions and shooting,' he said. 'We have never experienced something like that [here in Ashgabat]. We did not suspect [in the beginning] that it was some kind of a clash. But when this shooting continued all night, no one could ignore that it was.'"

This is pretty shocking. Turkmenistan, as far as I know, has no previously known armed opposition groups? Could they be linked to the man, whose name I forget, who served late President Saparmurat Niyazov as a head of security and has since been ousted by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov? Is a militant Islamist undercurrent in Turkmenistan surfacing? The government will undoubtedly blame criminal gangs or, in Central Asian political tradition, Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Turkmenistan's Wind

Turkmenistan is working on developing alternative energy sources, starting with wind:

"Despite the fact that the country’s future prosperity is apparently assured by such bounty, the country is taking tentative steps toward exploring the potential of alternative energy sources. In a development that may have a more substantive impact on the lives of Turkmen dwelling in isolated communities than Westerners shilling for exploration rights, specialists of the Giun ('sun' in Turkmen, 'Solntse' in Russian) Scientific and Production Association under direction of Berdimukhamedov’s Higher Council for Science and Technology have constructed a prototype wind turbine capable of generating five kilowatts (Internet-gazeta, www.turkmenistan.ru, August 14).

"The windmill was tested at Birkova near Ashgabat and its performance certified by Giun researchers and officials from Turkmenistan’s Department of Energy and Industry. The windmill is destined for the isolated island of Gyzylsu ('Red Water' in Turkmen), two hours by boat and 11 miles southeast of Turkmenistan’s largest Caspian port, Turkmenbashi (Gosudarstennoe informatsionnoe agentstvo Turkmenistana [TDH], August 13). When installed, the windmill will provide power for the island’s school, kindergarten, and a day nursery for 100 children. The windmill will also provide electric power to a solar seawater desalination system in the village, its pumps, reservoir-distillate accumulator, and ultraviolet water disinfection unit, which was designed specially for the facility...

"As Giun researchers note, Turkmenistan’s climatic conditions provide an ideal setting for both solar and wind power research, as approximately 86% of the country is covered by desert. Even though Turkmenistan is self-sufficient in electrical power generation, producing about 14 billion kwh annually, a number of localities such as the Caspian islands preclude stringing centralized electric power lines but where power shortages could be addressed by local renewable energy facilities."

Forcibly Settling Ruhubelent

Turkmenistan's government is forcing a number of internal relocations, particularly to a desert area in the northeast called Ruhubelent:

"Most Dashoguz residents are reportedly being forced to move to a new district named Ruhubelent, in the country's northeast. It was set up in March 2007 by a decree issued by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov...

State media reported that the district administration buildings, the local office of the National Security Ministry, and a trade center were built in October. The construction of schools is not finished, and the gas, water, and electric infrastructures are also not yet completed...

As for the houses, the new residents are expected to build them themselves...

RFE/RL's Turkmen Service listeners say the government offers no financial reward for leaving everything behind and moving to this desert area. They say they are only given an opportunity to get a bank loan of some 50 million manats ($3,300)."

An official Turkmen web site sings the area's praises:

"The Ruhubelent Etrap, one of the youngest regions of Turkmenistan, was establishment in the tracts of land - Shasenem, Ashik Aidyn and Diyarbekir in the Dashoguz Velayat last year. During the year over 6,000 hectares of fallow lands were developed, of them 3,500 hectares were sown with winter wheat and 2,600 hectares with cotton.

"Ruhubelent grain growers work tirelessly so that the harvest would be plentiful and heavy-eared. They observed the agricultural requirements and prepared the agricultural machines including the John Deer and Case highly-powered harvesting combines and trucks for the campaign."

As I've often said, just because the Berdymuhammedov is better than Niyazov, we're still light-years away from any sort of decent regime.

A Standard Model

Turkmenistan continues to develop into a more standard dictatorship than the bizarro model it suffered under in the time of the late Saparmurat Niyazov:

"Turkmenistan is planning rare amendments to its constitution that signal the leadership's desire to present at least a veneer of change in Central Asia's most isolated country.

"A constitutional commission will draft the changes at the request of the State Commission for Constitutional Reforms, which is headed by President Gurbanguly Burdymukhammedov.

"Expected amendments include lengthening the presidential term and otherwise enhancing the already-powerful presidency, as well as scrapping a rubberstamp superlegislature known as the Halk Maslahaty (People's Council) in favor of a more transparent but long-marginalized parliament, the Mejlis.

"The overhaul could make Turkmenistan's political landscape less inscrutable for the country's 5 million residents and foreigners alike, but most observers are likely to withhold judgment until the particulars are in place."

Cult Change

RFE-RL reports on the propaganda situation inside Turkmenistan:

"A source close to the Turkmen government told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that all government and public institutions have been instructed to remove Niyazov's portraits as well as boards containing excerpts from Niyazov's speeches and his book 'Rukhnama,' which had become a force-fed 'spiritual guide to the Turkmen nation.'

"According to the instruction -- which is said to have come directly from Berdymukhammedov -- no portraits should be hung on buildings. Portraits of Berdymukhammedov could replace those of Niyazov but only inside government offices, a source told RFE/RL...

"Meanwhile, observers have voiced concern over a possible cult of personality being established by Berdymukhammedov himself.

"In recent months, numerous reports from Turkmenistan have said that portraits of Berdymukhammedov are replacing those of Niyazov in many places around the capital and elsewhere.

"A correspondent for RFE/RL's Turkmen Service in Lebap Province also reported on such a case. 'One school director told me that at the beginning of this school year, he was told to take down a portrait of Niyazov and put a huge picture of Berdymukhammedov in its place,' the correspondent says. '[He said] the order came from the Education Ministry's district department.'

"Western media have speculated that Berdymukhammedov has appeared to take steps toward opening up the country. Yet state television reporters now refer to Berdymukhammedov as the 'great leader' and newspaper articles extol his virtues."

I still don't understand how "not as bad as Niyazov" seems in some people's minds to equate with "democratic reformer." You can have a country open to the outside world, and still have a personality cult surrounding the dictator.