(turkmenistan.ru) - Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov made a number of appointments at an extended meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan yesterday.
In particular, governors of Ahal and Balkan provinces were sacked for abuse of office that entailed serious consequences, the State news service (TDH) reports.
Touching on the situation in Balkan province, Saparmurat Niyazov blamed the governor of Balkan province, M.Gubyyev, for failing the cotton harvest due to gross shortcomings in organization of the harvest campaign. It concerns both the conduct of sowing and subsequent treatment of the technical crop as well as timing of irrigation and defoliation of cotton. Non-observance of these standards led to the stoppage of harvesters. According to TDH, this happened despite the fact that modern cotton processing and textile plants were built in the province that should be provided with raw materials. However, instead of taking care of increasing the harvest of cotton, Gubyyev authorized his office to engage in explicit distortion of data on cotton harvest and illegal fund-raising "meant" to support the harvest campaign, reports Trend.
Serious shortcomings were also committed during the winter crops sowing campaign which was conducted at a low pace in Balkan province, the president noted. According to the results of investigation provided by the Ministry of national security, as of today cotton has been grown on just 2,843 thousand hectares out of available 7,112 thousand hectares of land owing to poor preparation of land and lagging behind the schedule of irrigation.
The head of state also noted that M.Gubyyev abused office to suit his selfish ends, including bribery and connivance of misconduct on the part of his staff. Having charged the Prosecutor General's office with conducting a relevant investigation, President Saparmurat Niyazov relieved M.Gubyyev of his post. The head of state appointed Orazmyrat Niyazliyev governor of Balkan province for a six-month probationary period. Before this appointment he worked as mayor of the town of Turkmenabat.
The President of Turkmenistan also sharply criticized the work of Ahal province governor, A.Myratgulyyev, who, according to Saparmurat Niyazov, committed flagrant violations in organization of the cotton harvest which, in fact, led to non-fulfillment of the cotton harvest plan.
A number of facts testify for serious shortcomings by Myratgulyyev in selecting specialists. The President of Turkmenistan instructed the Prosecutor General to launch an investigation into the sacked governors' cases. Gurbanberdi Orazmyradov, who previously worked as chairman of the state concern Turkmenneftegazstroy, was appointed governor of Ahal province for a six-month probationary period.