TURKMENISTAN: MINISTER OF INTERIOR PUBLICLY

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001493 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, INL/AAE BUHLER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM PGOV SNAR SOCI TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MINISTER OF INTERIOR PUBLICLY REPRIMANDED REF: Ashgabat 678 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: President Berdimuhamedov last week publicly reprimanded the Minister of Internal Affairs (MVD),Ingender Mulikov, citing "shortcomings." Mulikov was appointed to the position six months ago and received a promotion last month. Other than what was contained in the official statement, no other reasons have been made public regarding Mulikov's reprimand. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (SBU) By presidential order issued on November 17, Interior Minister Isgender Mulikov was reprimanded for "weakening discipline and order" among staff of MVD, for a lack of organization in the ministry's political-education work, as well as for failing to provide information on crimes. (NOTE: "Political-education work" reportedly refers to mandatory Saturday lectures and meetings, such as reading the Ruhnama and discussions of recent presidential decrees, the president's foreign travel, etc., an activity dating back to the Soviet period. END NOTE.). Mulikov was warned that if he does not address these shortcomings very soon, he will be dismissed from his position. It was the first reprimand he has received since being appointed. ¶4. (SBU) According to one Embassy source, not from within the MVD itself, Mulikov is the target of someone from Berdimuhamedov's inner circle who simply dislikes him, and made disparaging statements about him to the president. According to another source, Mulikov failed to report a recent series of murders in Ashgabat to the president. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: Berdimuhamedov has taken to regularly reprimanding Cabinet members and other officials. Every month, it seems, one or two Cabinet members are publicly chastised for some reported shortcoming or another. Some sources suggest that such reprimands are simply another way for the president to impose strict controls on his subordinates. END COMMENT. ¶6. (SBU) BIO NOTE: Minister of Interior Isgender Handurdyevich Mulikov was born in 1975 in Ashgabat. He graduated from the Higher School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (now know as the Police Academy) in 1996, and worked in various positions at the Ministry of Interior, including as Deputy Minister of Interior and Head of the Dashoguz Province Police Department. He was appointed to the position of Interior Minister and conferred the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on May ¶29. Last month, Mulikov was promoted to the rank of the Colonel of Police. He participated in CENTCOM's Consultative Staff Talks in Tampa, Florida in May ¶2008. He is married and has three children. END BIO NOTE. CURRAN