Turkmen president calls general elections in April, sets up Security Council.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Turkmen President Saparmyrat Nyyazow has called general elections for 6 April 2003, Turkmen Press news agency reported on 30 December. The president made the announcement during the session of the People's Council at which the alleged coup and assassination attempt against the president were discussed. Nyyazow also said that in the event of a national emergency, an extraordinary session of the People's Council should be convened, but said thought had to be given to who would chair the session and what decisions could be taken. Nyyazow also announced that a State Security Council was to be set up, which he would chair. The following is an excerpt from report by Turkmen Press news agency:

Asgabat, 30 December: Today the Ruhyyet palace [in the Turkmen capital, Asgabat] was the site of an event which will not only be written for ever in nation's history. A joint session of the 13th State Congress, People's Council and National Revival Movement of Turkmenistan, chaired by the president of Turkmenistan, Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy [Nyyazow], took place here.

[Passage omitted: known details of the session; remarks about economic achievements in 2002; recap on known details of alleged coup attempt in Turkmenistan on 25 November; all speakers at session demanded capital punishment for conspirators]

Turkmenistan's president, Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy, takes the floor.

[Passage omitted: Nyyazow begins with a parable]

We shall not take the path of bloody revenge. "Turkmenistan is a country which is successfully integrated into the world community and by removing the death penalty as the supreme penalty, we proclaimed the principle of humanity and humaneness. As an example for the countries of the region today, we can not take a step back and restore the practice of the death penalty."