Acting just as his predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov, did, the Turkmen president has timed the amnesty for the 27th day of Ramadan, the Laylat-al-Qadr (the Night of Power), when Muslims must seek forgiveness for their sins.
Another reason for choosing the date is that Berdymukhamedov is going to the UN General Assembly in New York soon, where he would like to speak about the "democratic change" launched in the republic since he came to power.
He is working hard to prove that he is prepared to be more loyal to the West than his predecessor. A pertinent example is the recent announcement of his plan to turn Turkmenistan into a market economy.
Berdymukhamedov is just learning the ropes of his self-appointed role as chief reformer in his country. He has promised to raise pensions, wages and scholarships to restructure the public health system ruined by Niyazov, to reopen the Internet, and to provide access to a full-scale general and higher education. (Niyazov limited general education to nine years of schooling.) He has also banned the use of schoolchildren for cotton picking, and promised to create a multiparty system.
The unofficial struggle against the personality cult included the abolition of the International Turkmenbashi Foundation. Berdymukhammedov also prohibited the nationwide celebration of his 50th anniversary, which he marked with his family on June 29. The most striking innovation was the removal of monuments to Niyazov from the city streets and of his golden profile from the logos of the four state TV channels. His title - Turkmenbashi, the father of all Turkmens - was removed from the presidential flag and replaced in the text of the presidential oath with the neutral word, "president."
Unfortunately, it is Berdymukhammedov's face that is replacing the image of Niyazov, a phenomenon the authorities can explain as "the people's voluntary demonstration of their love for their leader." Berdymukhammedov has been granted the Vatan (Homeland) Order, a medal made of a kilo of gold and a handful of diamonds, for "outstanding services in pursuing domestic and foreign policy."
Niyazov's book, Rukhnama, which every Turkmen was encouraged to read three times "to become wise and assure himself a place in heaven," is being gradually replaced in schools with the works of the current president. A medic by education, he is popularizing healthy living.
The amnesty is not the first attempt to improve the country's image made since Berdymukhammedov became president eight months ago. The public was much more surprised by the August pardon of 11 people charged with planning to assassinate Niyazov on November 25, 2002. One of the pardoned is Nasrullah ibn Ibadullah, a former chief mufti, who had protested against quoting Rukhnama in mosques as it contradicts the laws of Islam.
The others were obscure people, including an 80-old man and Olga Prokofyeva, the lover of one of the "traitors." It is not clear what has become of the main suspect in the case, former Foreign Minister Boris Shikmuradov. Trying to save himself, who wrote a book, dictated to him by the security services, exposing the conspirators. However, it seems that the deal did not save his life.
Other traditional methods of cleaning out Niyazov's heritage include the removal of his cabinet. The ministers of energy, construction and railways were fired "for major shortcomings in their work," and the authorities plan to put them to trial.
Other ministers suffered a worse plight: National Security Minister Geldymurad Ashirmukhammedov, Akmurad Redzhepov, head of the presidential guard, who was regarded as Niyazov's "first lieutenant," and his son, National Security Colonel Nurmurat Redzhepov, were arrested.
The Redzhepovs, who had controlled Niyazov's financial transactions abroad, were sentenced to 20 and 13 years in prison, respectively.
Ovezgeldy Atayev, former speaker of parliament (Majlis), who should have taken over from the deceased president under the Constitution but was arrested on the day Niyazov died, was sentenced to five years for "counseling or inciting the suicide of his daughter-in-law."
The new president has appointed his own men to the vacant posts, mostly his relatives and compatriots from the Geok-Tepe Region.
Berdymukhammedov does not like to speak about his achievements, public or otherwise. When a member of the Democratic Party (the Communist Party of Turkmenistan until 1991), which he leads, proposed calling him "the Great Leader," the president said: "I am a simple son of my people, and not great at all so far. I will have to do very much to become great."
As for Niyazov, he would not be surprised by the disappearance of his portraits from the streets and official rooms. He said in New York in 1998: "I know that my monuments will be erased after my death, and money with my portrait will be torn."
Will the currency reform be Berdymukhammedov's next step?
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.
