The widespread nepotism of Turkmenistan

In the country led by the president-son Serdar Berdymukhamedov, kinship relations are multiplying among officials at every level, while without blood ties it is very difficult to get ahead, even for the most gifted, perhaps even with a degree abroad.

Ašgabat (AsiaNews) - The countries of Central Asia are traditionally very attached to the respect of bloodline descent at all levels of power and social life, and Turkmenistan stands out above all others, led by a president-son, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, under the close control of ex-president father Gurbanguly, who has remained at the head of the Senate.

The cult of personality here is exalted as the 'cult of the family', including mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, sons and daughters.

This system is very deep-rooted in the structures of law enforcement agencies and public administrations, both central and regional, despite some warnings from above not to over-involve relatives.

For example, the governor of Turkmenabat Khusniddin Bazarov is the elder brother of the mayor of the capital city, Gubanči Bazarov; following the protests in recent days about their excesses of favouritism and abuse of power, the investigation was entrusted to the regional prosecutor, the third brother Gafurdžan Bazarov.

Two other members of the Bazarov family, his cousin Gozel and his brother Berdymurat, are at the top of the velayat (province) of Dašoguz, the former as head of the central office of the local police, and the latter as director of the cadre study and preparation department of the Central Bank of Turkmenistan.

In Ašgabat, the head of the state printing office is a woman, Gozel Tajdžikova, who works well in tandem with her sister Majsa, chief editor of the capital's Zenan Kalby ('The Female Soul') magazine. The councillor for the economy of the adjacent province is Serdar Šamedov, whose brother Dovran heads the state enterprise Tukmenkhimija.

The examples can be multiplied almost indefinitely, as Turkmen.News documents: the vice-president of the court in Dašoguz, Dajanč Ovvadov, is the brother of the general director of the Turkmen post office, Serdar Ovvadov.

The state insurance company in the city of Kunjargenč is headed by Bajramgul Nurmukhammedova, whose niece Govkher is headmaster of the local school, while her brother Mukhammetnazar heads the province's revenue agency.

Some object that kinship is not in contradiction with competence, indeed it helps to develop it, but it is a fact that as soon as someone arrives at a seat of some prestige, brothers, aunts and nephews flock around him in Turkmenistan, while without blood ties it is very difficult to get ahead, even for the most gifted, perhaps with a degree abroad.

Some interviewees complain that 'at home, if you are born to an electrician and a primary school teacher, it is impossible to reach higher levels, and if you find some good opportunities abroad for study or work, you will never return home, and so we lose all our best young people'.

Many quarters are calling for stricter checks, because nepotism is less controllable than corruption, even though the two scourges are often linked, especially when someone accused of some crime ends up under investigation by a relative.