Executive branch:
chief of state: President Saparmurad NIYAZOV (since NA October 1990);
election last held 21 June 1992 (next to be held NA 2002); results -
Saparmurad NIYAZOV 99.5% (ran unopposed); note - a 15 January 1994
referendum extended NIYAZOV's term an additional five years until 2002
(99.99% approval)
head of government: Prime Minister (vacant); Deputy Prime Ministers
Orazgeldi AYDOGDIYEV (since NA), Babamurad BAZAROV (since NA), Khekim
ISHANOV (since NA), Valeriy OTCHERTSOV (since NA), Yagmur OVEZOV
(since NA), Matkarim RAJAPOV (since NA), Abad RIZAYEVA (since NA),
Rejep SAPAROV (since NA), Boris SHIKHMURADOV (since NA), Batyr
SARJAYEV (since NA)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: under 1992 constitution there are two
parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council (Halk Maslahaty -
having more than 100 members and meeting infrequently) and a 50-member
unicameral Assembly (Majlis)
Assembly (Majlis): elections last held 11 December 1994 (next to be
held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (50 total)
Democratic Party 45, other 5; note - all 50 preapproved by President
NIYAZOV
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, Saparmurad NIYAZOV; Party for Democratic Development, Durdymurat HOJA-MUKHAMMED, chairman; Agzybirlik, Nurberdy NURMAMEDOV, cochairman, Hubayberdi HALLIYEV, cochairman note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries
Member of: CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Khalil UGUR chancery: 1511 K Street NW, Suite 412, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 737-4800 FAX: [1] (202) 737-1152
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph S. HULINGS III embassy: 6 Teheran Street, Yubilenaya Hotel, Ashgabat mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (3632) 24-49-25, 24-49-22 FAX: [7] (3632) 25-53-79
Flag: green field, including a vertical stripe on the hoist side, with a claret vertical stripe in between containing five white, black, and orange carpet guls (an assymetrical design used in producing rugs) associated with five different tribes; a white crescent and five white stars in the upper left corner to the right of the carpet guls
@Turkmenistan:Economy
Overview: Turkmenistan is largely desert country with nomadic cattle raising, intensive agriculture in irrigated oases, and huge gas and oil resources. Half its irrigated land is planted in cotton making it the world's tenth largest producer. It also has the world's fifth largest reserves of natural gas and significant oil resources. Until the end of 1993, Turkmenistan had experienced less economic disruption than other former Soviet states because its economy received a boost from higher prices for oil and gas and a sharp increase in hard currency earnings. In 1994, Russia's refusal to export Turkmen gas to hard currency markets and mounting debts of its major customers in the former USSR for gas deliveries contributed to a sharp fall in industrial production and caused the budget to shift from a surplus to a slight deficit. Furthermore, with an authoritarian ex-Communist regime in power and a tribally-based social structure, Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton sales to sustain its inefficient economy. With the onset of economic hard times, even cautious moves toward economic restructuring and privatization have slowed down. For 1995, Turkmenistan will face continuing constraints on its earnings because of its customers' inability to pay for their gas and a low average cotton crop in 1994. Turkmenistan is working hard to open new gas export channels through Iran and Turkey, but these may take many years to realize.