SEP. 21 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev sacked Aslan Musin as his chief of staff. In Mr Musin’s place, Mr Nazarbayev promoted the loyal PM Karim Masimov. No official reason was given for the change but many analysts believe that Mr Musin had become too powerful.
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(News report from Issue No. 106, published on Sep. 28 2012)
MAY 28 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov sacked his energy minister, Bairamgeldy Nedirov, for “serious shortcomings”, media quoted the presidential office as saying. Mr Nedirov had served as energy minister since Aug. 2008. His dismissal on May 25 came two days after signing a gas deal with India and Pakistan.
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(News report from Issue No. 090, published on June 1 2012)
APRIL 14 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – An enraged Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Turkmenistan’s president, sacked his energy minister, Yarmukhamet Orazgulyev, for being a bad parent, media reported.
Mr Orazgulyev’s son had been racing through Ashgabat with other sons and daughters of the Turkmen elite, when he crashed his car. One person was killed in the crash.
It was not clear who died in the crash but Mr Berdymukhamedov’s irritation was clear.
Not only did he sack Mr Orazgulyev as the energy minister but he also sacked the head of the prestigious university where many of the offspring of the elite study.
The incident provides two useful insights into Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most repressive and secretive countries.
Firstly, Mr Orazgulyev’s reaction to his dismissal showed the extent of Mr Berdymukhamedov’s powers. State media described him agreeing with Mr Berdymukhamedov that he had been a poor parent and begging for any sort of job.
Secondly, the incident highlights the joy-riding, privileged lifestyles of the sons and daughters of the elite who appear to have been able to treat Ashgabat at night as their personal race track, with officials and policemen unwilling to challenge them.
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(News report from Issue No. 084, published on April 20 2012)
JAN. 7 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmen president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov fired Aman Khanaliyev, the head of the state energy company Turkmengaz. Mr Khanaliyev had been in the post for a year. This is the third time Mr Berdymukhamedov has sacked the head of Turkmengaz since he became president in 2007.
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(News report from Issue No. 72, published on Jan. 13 2012)
JULY 12 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov sacked the country’s deputy defence minister four days after a blast at an arms depot in a town near Ashgabat killed scores of people. The government has said 15 people died but the opposition website chrono-tm.org said up to 200 people may have been killed.
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(News report from Issue No. 49, published on July 20 2011)
MAY 6 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – In a case that highlighted the porous border controls in Central Asia, Kazakh PM Karim Massimov said he had sacked the head of Kazakhstan’s customs agency after security forces broke up a smuggling ring which had bribed officials to operate freely across a border with China for five years.
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(News report from Issue No. 39, published on May 9 2011)
MARCH 29 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov sacked national security minister Charymyrat Amanov for unspecified “shortcomings”, state TV said. Mr Amanov had been in the post since 2007. President since December 2006, Mr Berdymukhamedov has often sacked minsters suddenly and with no explanation.
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(News report from Issue No. 34, published on April 4 2011)
MARCH 31 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyzstan’s President Roza Otunbayeva sacked the Kyrgyz Prosecutor-General Kubatbek Baibolov over links to a corruption scandal centred on the privatisation of mobile operator MegaCom. Mr Baibolov denies the allegations. The next day a row in parliament over the scandal between two deputies triggered a brief fight.
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(News report from Issue No. 34, published on April 4 2011)
JAN. 11 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov sacked the head of the country’s gas company, Dovlet Mommayev, after only 3 months in the job, media reported quoting state TV. Amanali Khanaliyev, previously head of building pipelines, is the new head of Turkmengaz.
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(News report from Issue No. 23, published on Jan. 17 2011)
