In two more developments, Turkmenistan expert and Vremya Novostei correspondent Arkady Dubnov gave a press conference at the RIA-Novosti press agency in which he revealed that according to information in his possession, close Saparmurat Niyazov confindante and treasurer Alexander Zhadan went missing the day before Niyazov’s death.

“According to information I have, on the evening before President Nyyazow’s death, his personal aide-de-camp Alexander Zhadan disappeared from Ashgabat with very important documents,” Dubnov said at a news conference on Friday.

Dubnov claims that Zhadan has control over all Niyazov’s financial dealings. A combination of this and the possible billions salted away in Western bank accounts may mean that Turkmenistan is a considerably poorer country today.
Niyazov and Zhadan were old family friends and the treasurer also held the position of deputy head of the presidential administration, which put him a position of great responsibility.
In a separate development, the initiative to disregard constitutional practice picked up further steam on Friday after interim president Kurbanguly Berdymukhammedov sacked the chairman of the Majlis Ovezgeldy Atayev, the person who is supposed to take the provisional leadership of the country in the event of the president’s death. In a televised dismissal reminescent of Niyazov’s practices, Berdymukhamedov stripped Atayev of his immunity, telling him:

“You have been relieved from the post of parliament speaker.”

This followd the start on Thursday of unspecified criminal investigations into Atayev’s activities. Akdzha Nurberdyeva was named as the new Majlis speaker.
RIA-Novosti also reports that a new Khalk Maslahaty chairman will need to named at the next session, which is to take place on Dec. 26. According to the constitution, the candidate can be no younger than 55, must speak Turkmen, have lived in the country for the last ten years, be a current member of the body, and have occupied a high position in the government. These reuirements inevitably narrow the list, but the Minister of Defense Agageldy Mamedgeldyev has already been tipped to get the necessary two-thirds approval.

Interim President Kurbanguly Berdymukhammedov at last month’s CIS meeting in Minsk

There is an interesting nuance to this prediction in that his neutralisation in this largely ceremonial position would put another high-ranking militarily well-connected figure out of the running for the presidency. Azeri political scientist Rauf Rajabov has suggested that the most likely candidate to emerge on top will be the one with the authority to enforce stability and who can ward off the threat of Islamist fringe groups. Once again, this points in the direction of the chief of the presidential guard General Akmurad Rejepov, who may settle with being the eminence grise to Berdymukhammedov.