Turkmenistan asserts new Finnish ambassador has praised country's "democratic transformations"

Ambassador Lahelma disputes claims

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Finland's new Roving Ambassador for Central Asia (Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) Timo Lahelma does not admit that he expressed his admiration for the democracy that prevails in Turkmenistan, as was claimed recently by the Turkmenistan State News Agency (TDH).
      The Internet pages at www.turkmenistan.ru quoted the agency after Lahelma had left his credentials in Ashgabat, the capital of the former Soviet republic, in November.
      "The diplomat said he was impressed by reforms and democratic transformations in Turkmenistan, the Turkmen State News Agency (TDH) reports".
     
"I have not said this", responds Lahelma.
      "Besides, my first visit to Turkmenistan took place just at the time of parliamentary elections, when the country would have had a good opportunity to provide a demonstration of its developments towards democracy. For this reason alone, it was best for an outside observer to refrain from making premature remarks."
      No such demonstration was given at the polls.
      The OSCE did not trouble to send monitors to the elections at the end of the autumn, because no attempt was even made to present the elections as democratic.
      Turkmenistan is regarded internationally as one of the world's most tightly-run dictatorships.
     
During the rule of the former President Saparmurat Niyazov, the country was known for the personality cult surrounding its leader and for his often abrupt decisions.
      At the same time, Turkmenistan sits on some of the world's largest reserves of natural gas.
      Niyazov's successor Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov has relaxed the personality cult somewhat, but has maintained tight discipline nevertheless.
     


Previously in HS International Edition:
  The deadly watchful eye of Turkmenistan´s holy book (4.3.2008)

Links:
  Turkmenistan (Wikipedia)
  Turkmenistan.ru: Ambassador of Finland accredited in Turkmenistan (20.11.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat