News: Niyazov

How many people reading this now, know where Turkmenistan is? Here's some interesting facts about the president - Saparmyrat Niyazov:

• 1985 - Turkmen Communist Party chief.
• 1991 - Elected as independent (from former USSR) Turkmenistan's 1st president.
• 1999 - Parliament 'votes' Niyazov president for life!
• 2002 - He renames months of the calender after himself, his mother, and Ruhnama - a compulsory text book at school, written by non other than Niyazov.
  *More on the Ruhnama.
• 2004 - Orders a giant ice palace to be constructed in the Turkmen desert.
• Other decrees:
  Close all hospitals and rural libraries outside of the capital ~ Ashgabat.
  Video monitors installed @ all public places .
• Today - Bans recorded music! See: BBC news.

Conclusion: Interesting, but not funny......