President for life.

[Matthew X]

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-