Turkmen fortify president’s power

However, he has given no sign that he will scrap the country’s one-party rule, and Friday’s vote underlined the continued concentration of power in one man’s hands.

 

Niyazov, who styled himself Turkmenbashi, meaning “Father of All Turkmen”, had ruled Turkmenistan since 1985, establishing a personality cult. He chaired the People’s Council, using it to endorse his most crucial decisions.