A peep into the strange world of Turkmenbashi, whose every word is law

[T_i_B]

Whatever the caprices of their eccentric leader, the people of Turkmenistan must obey, reports Damien McElroy from Ashgabat

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/05/02/wturk02.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/05/02/ixportal.html

In Turkmenistan, a Niyazov lifestyle tip is as good as a law. In a Pavlovian response to his remarks, which were broadcast repeatedly on television, people rushed to swap their gold teeth for porcelain.

Mrs Tullieva, a 32-year-old laboratory technician, had been sent home from work because of her offending teeth, as universities, government departments and state-run companies humoured their president-for-life. "I have had gold teeth since I was 18," Mrs Tullieva said. "It was my dowry from my parents when I got married. Before I was really proud of my teeth. They showed me as a success but now I cannot work and have them."

Niyazov has indulged himself on the back of the world's fifth largest reserves of oil and gas, but at the expense of a downtrodden, five million-strong population.

Disastrous mismanagement of the economy by his National Democratic Party means that 35 per cent of the population lives in poverty. Although housing is cheap and fuel all but free, healthcare is scanty and education sparse. Although the average income is less than £30 a month, there is apparently no shortage of funds with which to indulge Niyazov, officially known as "Turkmenbashi", or "Father of the Nation".

[NMDemDist2]

1. but he's "our boy" eom