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.
341 comments
Stephane T.
11/21/2018 07:36J'ai cru à un bio de Carlos Ghosn xD
Clem D.
11/15/2018 13:02...
Yann C.
11/15/2018 10:15regardez moi ce phénomène
Maël C.
11/14/2018 21:25Un bon gars en somme.
Abel T.
11/14/2018 19:24NANI "dentiste"
Jérôme G.
11/14/2018 18:00remember
Edouard R.
11/14/2018 15:56Turkmenistan Airlines ;)
Léo G.
11/14/2018 14:42c'est le gars qui jouait dans le film avec Ryan gosling, c'est le chinois qui chante en public
Yo N.
11/14/2018 12:57Mdr encore un bon dictateur
Marie T.
11/14/2018 07:51N'oublions pas de dire que ces belles constructions sont en grande parties construites par Vinci ou Bouygues...
Benrabah R.
11/13/2018 21:32Ces turkmens ont de la chance de voir leur président dictateur mais pétant la santé; chantant ,dansant,s' adonnant à différents sports et le plus important s'occupant des problèmes de ses compatriotes. Contrairement à qui vous savez.
Guillaume B.
11/13/2018 21:26il a les mêmes passions que toi c'est un signe
Fouad A.
11/13/2018 14:15Ça doit être un bonheur, de vivre là bas. Ils ont de la chance
Tanguy T.
11/13/2018 12:55Simon Rongieras
Pascal B.
11/13/2018 11:50Et?
Hajoura B.
11/13/2018 11:33mich ychbah ben ali chwaya elotf kol chy ya3mlo howa hhhhhhhhhhhhh
Joaquim L.
11/13/2018 08:59quand on parlais du Turkménistan hier ;)
Peyo D.
11/13/2018 08:34c'et saddam c'est pas possible
Harold N.
11/13/2018 06:22Un vrai poème comme ces pays de l'ancienne URSS savent nous en réserver. On attendra pour y faire du tourisme.
Diana J.
11/13/2018 05:36Un président qui empêche la vente de clop , alors que cela pourrais lui rapporter gros , ne le fait pas , gaz ,eau gratuit etc..., c est de la répréssion !!!!!Ha bon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!