Turkmen leader says open to rival political parties

President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who leads the only political party in Turkmenistan, said he was open to the creation of opposition parties in the former gas-rich Soviet republic. He made a similar speech almost a year ago.

Any new parties would be unlikely to threaten the dominance of the ruling Democratic Party in the reclusive Central Asian country, which sits on the world's fourth-largest natural gas reserves. Criticism of the president is taboo and no public figure would risk opposing state policies. (Reuters)