Saparmurat Niyazov

Turkmenistan's President Saparmurat Niyazov, who died yesterday, appears to have been quite the character:

For two decades, Niyazov crushed opposition and pursued an extravagant personality cult, renaming January after himself, April after his mother, and erecting a rotating gold statue of himself in the centre of the capital Ashgabat. * * *

One of the ex-Soviet Union's harshest and also most idiosyncratic leaders, Niyazov tolerated no dissent once he cemented power in an unopposed presidential election in 1990. In 1999 he declared himself president for life.

Watchdog groups accused him of crushing the independent media, rigging elections and committing widespread human rights abuses.

Obsessed with personal power, Niyazov made his presence felt in every corner of the country. His likeness was omnipresent, on billboards, the national currency, and even household items ranging from carpets and vodka bottles to his own brand of perfume.