Meet Turkmenistan's "Modern" Dictator
He has many hobbies such as driving white race cars, riding horses, rapping, and leading one of the most oppressive regimes in the world. Meet Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow — the president of Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan's "modern" dictator
Gurbanguly Mälikguly ogly Berdimuhamedow is a Turkmen politician who has served as the President of Turkmenistan since February 2007. Berdimuhamedow, a dentist by profession, served in the government under President Saparmurat Niyazov as Minister of Health beginning in 1997 and as Vice-President beginning in 2001. Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow has always been an authoritarian eccentric, but recently his attempts to curry public favor have ventured into the bizarre.
While Berdimuhamedow has governed the isolated country for the past 12 years, it seems 2019 is the year he’s determined to set himself on the global stage as a cult of personality figure to rival North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Berdimuhamedow’s insistence that he’s a great leader of a mighty and prosperous nation, his citizens think otherwise—the regime is accused of a host of egregious human rights violations. A recent census has revealed over a third of the population, that’s 2 million Turkmens, have fled the country. This has left Berdimuhamedow on the defensive and it’s presenting in strange and dangerous ways. In May, police were instructed to find evidence that locals were using newspaper as toilet paper—not out of concern for the basic sanitation needs of his citizens, but of worry that images of himself were being soiled.
In September 2016, the Turkmenistan Parliament abolished term limits for the presidency, which allowed Berdimuhamedow to run for a third term. In July 2018, he appeared in a rap video with his grandson. He had previously lifted weights on camera, and also acted as DJ. By decree of Berdymuhamedov in January 2019, the government will gradually end state funding of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan; it will be phased out in three years. In August 4, 2019, after a weeks-long disappearance that sparked rumors of his death, Berdimuhamedov appeared on state TV doing doughnuts in rally car around the “Hell's Gate" to prove he's not dead. In the meantime, pension payments haven’t been issued for May and June and the on-going economic crisis is causing hour-long queues at ATMs. Puppies and quirky horse videos won’t change that. His son, second in command, will most likely succeed him.
Brut.
470 comments
Naufal M.
12/12/2019 14:10Great leader
Hasan J.
10/07/2019 06:47Nah.
Salik Q.
10/01/2019 10:29free gas free water this dictator is better than many democracies
Mansoor A.
09/25/2019 15:28Looks like somebody wants oil resources!
Gabriel H.
09/23/2019 17:25👍👍👍
Edward V.
09/23/2019 05:51General Admiral Aladeen approves!
Fauzee S.
09/23/2019 00:51its like Kim Jong-Un (with unlimited money) plus Trump leadership
Ibrahim S.
09/22/2019 20:56He doesnt seem bad at all.. actually he's pretty cool
Vishma O.
09/22/2019 17:06People are happy.So who cares about stupid democracy??Do u want another Iraq/Libya ??? Go fuck yourselves, assholes.Let him rule the country in his own way
Yellu M.
09/22/2019 14:28I saw just a Rich North korea😂😂😂
Paolo
09/22/2019 04:18Fuck him
Karl A.
09/22/2019 01:27!!!
Paulo L.
09/21/2019 19:25True as Long people are happy and no killing good no smoking 🚭
Murad P.
09/21/2019 13:18wanna go there ??
Mohd F.
09/21/2019 04:16A dictator is not necessarily a bad thing. The US got Trump elected as president, and that’s a bad thing...
Dovla D.
09/20/2019 10:05KILL HIM SOON!
Muhammad I.
09/19/2019 15:58Are they ok, then its ok
Annasz D.
09/19/2019 08:53Horrible man!!
Marcus Y.
09/18/2019 16:11Kai Li Kwan
Valentine C.
09/18/2019 07:23If I'm the President, I'll do the same.