Below is the translation of Abdulgamid’s post from the Russian-language blog.

Another news that holds out hope of changes yet taking place in the country. The reports that you hardly could think of in Niyazov’s time more frequently appear in official mass media.

The President of Turkmenistan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has severely reprimanded Charymurat Amanov, the Minister for National Security “for weakening control over the implementation of orders and instructions issued by Turkmenistan’s President and Supreme Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces of Turkmenistan, as well as for shortcomings in personnel selection and training.”

According to another decree of the Turkmen President the Head of the Mary Velayat (regional) Department of the Ministry for National Security has been severely reprimanded “for weakening control over the work of departments subordinate to him and for violations there”.

It is still a question what exactly are the shortcomings discovered in the work of this ominous, all-knowing and all-hearing retributive agency, but the fact of severe reprimanding is mind-blowing by itself. Does it turn to be that National Security Committee / Ministry is also not sinless? Dare you even imagine that they weakened the control over the President’s directions implementation?! Note, in this report the word “President” begins with a capital letter, while in all others it begins with a small one.

There it is – the visible breathe of wind of changes, democracy and free speech! Suchlike, we can easily go rolling to “Perestroika”. Saying this I refer not to the way the word “President” is written, but to reprimanding these guys from the National Security.