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ASHGABAT: Turkmenistan, whose former leader built statues to himself and named days of the week after family members, has a new soaring monument adorning the capital: a 185-metre pillar to the constitution.
Riddled with symbolism, the 64-million dollar obelisk's height fits the 18th day of the fifth month of 1992 on which the ex-Soviet nation's constitution was adopted.
“People will come to the monument and it will become the centre of celebrations,” Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said at the opening ceremony, which crowned three years of construction work by a Turkish firm.
One of the tallest structures in the Turkmen capital, the imposing white marble structure is adorned with five golden carpet ornaments and comes with two viewing decks.
Somewhat resembling the Washington Monument in the US capital, its warehouse-sized base houses a history museum, a library, conference and exhibition halls and a cafeteria.
Berdymukhamedov's predecessor Saparmuyat Niyazov ruled the energy-rich republic with an iron fist, erecting a golden statue to himself that slowly revolved around its axis to always be facing the sun.
That statue has since been removed from its pedestal, with Berdymukhamedov vowing to correct some of his predecessor's mistakes and bring the desert nation closer in line with international practice.
While progress has been slow, the new pillar's unveiling is seen as another attempt by the new leader to establish Turkmenistan's reputation as a legitimate republic that is open to cooperation with the West.
Meeting the new US ambassador to earlier this week - the first appointed by Washington in five years - Berdymukhamedov said he was ready to work with the United States “based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit.”
Human rights leaders, however, criticise Berdymukhamedov for continuing to trample on human rights and replacing his predecessor's cult of personality with his own.
