Turkmen leader fires top officials
Güncelleme Tarihi:
AP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 17, 2009 00:00
ASHGABAT - Energy-rich Turkmenistan's president has fired almost one-third of his Cabinet and the head of the state oil company in a large-scale reshuffle reminiscent of his eccentric predecessor's frequent purges.
In a government meeting televised late Thursday, President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov charged officials with committing "unforgivable mistakes and miscalculations."
The most prominent casualties included the ministers for energy, communications, and tourism. The heads of the state oil company Turkmenneft and the state geological agency, which explores the country's vast hydrocarbon resources, were also dismissed.
Berdymukhamedov said significant progress had been made in the Central Asian nation's oil and gas sector, but blasted what he called financial irregularities and the mismanagement of advanced technical equipment, which he said have caused overspending and accidents.
Under autocratic former President Saparmurat Niyazov, who died in 2006, the dismissal and the subsequent arrest of high-level officials were routine. Thursday's government purge was the largest since Berdymukhamedov came to power.
In a wide-ranging closing speech, Berdymukhamedov again criticized government officials for inefficiency and excessive bureaucracy. "We must make great efforts to keep pace with world progress and become full members of the international community," he said.
The most prominent casualties included the ministers for energy, communications, and tourism. The heads of the state oil company Turkmenneft and the state geological agency, which explores the country's vast hydrocarbon resources, were also dismissed.
Berdymukhamedov said significant progress had been made in the Central Asian nation's oil and gas sector, but blasted what he called financial irregularities and the mismanagement of advanced technical equipment, which he said have caused overspending and accidents.
Under autocratic former President Saparmurat Niyazov, who died in 2006, the dismissal and the subsequent arrest of high-level officials were routine. Thursday's government purge was the largest since Berdymukhamedov came to power.
In a wide-ranging closing speech, Berdymukhamedov again criticized government officials for inefficiency and excessive bureaucracy. "We must make great efforts to keep pace with world progress and become full members of the international community," he said.