Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov, who has built a vast personality cult, on Monday asked government officials not to stop praising him. "I have a request: don't praise me. I even feel uncomfortable appearing at various meetings and events," Niyazov told a Cabinet meeting. "It upsets me that I'm the only one who gets credit for all Turkmenistan's achievements. In fact, they belong to the entire Turkmen people," Niyazov said.
| No praise, just worship as a living god. |
Last month, in a surprise move, Niyazov ordered removal of his portraits from administrative buildings. No reason was given. But a new bronze and stone monument depicting Niyazov taking an oath as president was unveiled Monday in front of the parliament building in the capital Ashgabat to mark 12 years since his inauguration as the nation's leader as an independent country. Niyazov, has ruled 1985 in this former Soviet republic and prefers to be called Turkmenbashi, or "the Father of all Turkmens." He has made himself the central element of independent Turkmen national culture. His image is inescapable in the capital Ashgabat, with dozens of billboards and monuments to him adorning virtually every street corner. Niyazov's golden statue in Ashgabat's main square rotates to always face the sun. His face is on the country's currency and his golden profile is the national television's logo, adorning the television screen. There are more then a dozen Niyazov's monuments around Ashgabat. The new one is next to a similar monument in front of the Defense Ministry building.
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