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Turkmen ruler establishes holiday to honor local dog breed
The statue of the Alabai, the Central Asian shepherd dog is seen in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. Turkmenistan's autocratic leader has established a national holiday to honor the local dog breed, media reports said Tuesday. All rights reservedASHGABAT – Turkmenistan's autocratic leader has established a national holiday to honor the local dog breed, media reports said Tuesday. The Central Asian nation of 6 million prides itself in horses and dogs, honoring its centuries-old herding traditions. Last year, Berdymukhamedov inaugurated a 15-meter (nearly 50-feet) gilded statue honoring the dog in the Turkmen capital.
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Turkmenistan creates new parliament chamber
ASHGABAT – Turkmenistan's authoritarian president, who has an unchallenged hold on power, on Friday signed a constitutional change to expand the country’s parliament to two chambers. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said the move was “yet another important step toward democratizing our country.”But the newly created upper chamber of parliament membership won't be chosen by voters. The leadership of each of the country’s regions will appoint members, and a seat is guaranteed for any former president. The current unicameral parliament, which will become the lower chamber, is chosen in elections. The constitutional change takes effect on Jan. 1, but it wasn't immediately clear when the new chamber would be formed.