December 2006 will usher in democratic changes, with maiden elections to district councils, and of district governors. Similar elections will be held for regions, 2007. The next year will see an election to the Majlis (parliament), with a presidential poll for 2009.
Mr. Niyazov is sure three or four presidential hopefuls will appear by that time "from among young dynamic leaders". As the Constitution has it, presidential nominations will be up to the Halk Maslakhaty (Popular Council), supreme Turkmen ruling body.
Saparmurat Niyazov first appeared at the Turkmen helm back in the Soviet time, 1985, when he became Central Committee First Secretary of the republican Communist Party. He was elected republican Supreme Soviet (parliament) Speaker, 1990, and quite soon republican President with a landslide 93 per cent.
Turkmenistan went to the presidential polls again after its Constitution was adopted, June 21, 1992. That election brought Niyazov a fabulous 99.5 per cent-he was the only to run. The title of Turkmenbashi, Father of All the Turkmen, was bestowed on him, 1993.
A national referendum of January 1994 prolonged his term for five years, bypassing election. A Popular Council session of 1999 granted him indefinite presidency at his own disposal.
