Niazov accepts yet another honour, but not everyone in Turkmenistan is celebrating. By Nyazik Ataeva in Ashgabat (RCA No. 137, 13-Aug-02) Turkmenistan's authoritarian president, Saparmurat Niazov, has been appointed head of state for the rest of his life - and has promptly renamed the months of the year after himself and his family. Niazov - who likes to be called Turkmenbashi, Father of all Turkmens - was selected at a session of the Khalk Maslakhaty, or people's council, on August 8 in Turkmenabat, formerly known as Chardjou, in the east of the country. A 1999 law had given Turkmenbashi the right to remain in his post indefinitely but with provision for future elections, which the president had suggested could be held sometime between 2008 and 2010. The new life status awarded by the council rules out all possibility of future polls. "With long and excited applause, delegates to the supreme governmental body literally forced Niazov to accept the title of president for life," the official news bulletins claimed. http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/rca/rca_200208_137_1_eng.txt Tajikistan's warming up nicely as well and all but don't let arbusto see this... Turkmenistan: Niazov Pulls The Plug on Cable President switches off cable network after a series of broadcasts highly critical of the authorities. One minute were talking th-