Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov on January 17th appointed Gurbannazar Nazarov as minister of oil, natural gas and mineral resources, a post that had been vacant since September.
Nazarov, formerly director of the ministry’s oil and gas institute, replaces Rejepi Azarov.
The incoming oil minister’s appointment is for a six-month trial period only, according to state television. Niyazov has led Turkmenistan since 1991 and wields wide-ranging powers, particularly since being named president for life in December 1999.
The president of the Central Asian state has a history of hiring and firing, sacking two deputy prime ministers, one in charge of transportation, communications and construction and the other of education, on January 17th after accusing them of incompetence and graft.
The education and agriculture ministers and the head of the national road system were also fired for incompetence and shortcomings, following the sacking in November of dozens of regional officials after reported shortfalls in the country’s cotton crop owing to a serious drought.
Cotton, along with natural gas, is one of the mainstays of the Turkmen economy, and harvests commonly fall below expectations, often leading to mass departures of regional government officials.
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
