Turkmenistan update

12/22/2006 at 12:00 p.m.

The dictatorial leader of Turkmenistan, Saparmurad Niyazov, died suddenly yesterday. The country’s acting president says there will be a democratic election to replace Niyazov. But many fear the transition could unleash a power struggle in the central Asian nation. Today on The Conversation we’ll talk about Turkmenistan. Why is it important and what is likely to happen there with the transition of leadership?

Guests:
Eric McGlinchey is an Assistant Professor of Government and Politics at George Mason University. We reached him in Kirgistan.
Masha Lipman is the editor of Pro et Contra, a policy journal published by the Carnegie Moscow Center. She also writes a monthly column for the Washington Post. Her column posted today about Turkmenistan is titled: After a Tyrant, What Next? She joins us from Moscow.
Victoria Crumpacker has been a residential real estate broker in Portland, OR for the last 15 years, but back in 2000 she decided to try something different. She joined the Peace Corps and went to Turkmenistan.