Turkmenistan: The Dregs of Democratization

A study released June 13 by Freedom House focuses attention on a "governance gap" in energy-rich states in the Caucasus and Central Asia.

The report, titled Nations in Transit 2006, identifies several disturbing trends in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and other nations in the European Union's "Eastern neighborhood," including weak political institutions, plummeting standards, expanding limits on press freedom and rampant corruption. The accumulation of wealth, through the development of energy resources, does not stand to foster stable societies, the report suggests.

"National leaders in these countries appear not to understand that improving accountability will provide citizens what they want – prosperity and rule of law – and would give their states more options internationally," the report's editor, Jeannette Goehring said in a written statement.

"Instead, they are taking advantage of high energy prices by building authoritarian regimes," Goehring continued. The report also singles out Russia for criticism over President Vladimir Putin's evident disdain for democratization. The Kremlin's backsliding is all the more serious, given Russia's broad political, economic and social influence throughout the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Turkmenistan

President Saparmurat Niyazov wields total control over Turkmenistan's political, economic and social affairs. The only immediate threat to his personal and arbitrary rule is his own health concerns, according to the Nations in Transit 2006 report by Freedom House.

Turkmenistan scored an abysmal 6.96 out of a potential 7 in a democratization rating system developed by Freedom House where 7 indicates a complete absence of democratic practices and the rule of law. Constitutional subversion and a "lavish cult of personality unrivaled in the former Soviet Union and, indeed, most of the world" have characterized Turkmenistan under the self-proclaimed Turkmenbashi.

"Niyazov has undertaken reforms aimed primarily centralizing his own rule, allowing him to exercise power without restraint," the June 13 report stated. Turkmenistan's rating for national democratic governance was 7.

"A major tool used to buttress the president's lavish personality cult and to create a pseudo-state ideology is the Ruhnama (Book of the Soul), which has been accorded the de facto status of a holy book on par with the Koran," the report asserted. The book, purportedly written by Niyazov, is now a compulsory part of all state exams for public-sector employees and students.

Meanwhile, the country's two largest religious groups, Sunni Muslim and Russian Orthodox, have been relentlessly repressed. Unregistered religious and civil groups were subjected to police raids, detentions, fines and other forms of harassment. Turkmenistan's rating for civil society remained unchanged at 7.

Elections are "thoroughly stage managed" and have "little to no bearing on democratization process." According to the report, "Electoral officials in Turkmenistan engage widely in irregular procedures, such as stuffing ballot boxes and making door-to- door home visits during which voters are urged to cast their ballots."

Turkmenistan's rating for electoral process stood at 7, as does its rating for local governance. Recent legislative changes will not result in significant devolution of power to local governments, the report said.

Citizens of Turkmenistan are likely to be ignorant of the political changes that have swept across other post-Soviet states such as Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. "All state media in Turkmenistan are devoted primarily to extolling the activities and achievements of the president and are devoid of independent information."

The report added that "communication with the outside world was further obstructed through the prohibition of the import and circulation of all foreign print media, including those produced in neighboring countries." Turkmenistan's rating for independent media was 7. Judicial framework and independence also scored 7, as the office of the Prosecutor General was found to act "as an important instrument of repression for the regime."

Corruption exists at all levels of society in Turkmenistan. "The dizzying pace at which governmental officials are regularly replaced, coupled with an increased, has meant that newly appointed officials attempt to acquire perks and exploit the privileges of their offices in record time."

A move to place all gas exports under the direct control of the president, on the pretext that it would prevent corrupt officials from exploiting it, is likely to raise corruption levels even further. "No contract will be valid without my signature," the president said in December 2005 with the result that Turkmenistan's rating for corruption deteriorated from 6.50 to 6.75.