ASHGABAT, January 21. /TASS/. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Speaker of Turkmenistan’s upper house of parliament and former president, has been declared national leader, the Watan news program on national television reported on Saturday, adding that he also headed the People’s Council.

Turkmenistan’s highest representative body of popular vote, the People’s Council, was established in the country. It was headed by former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who previously was speaker of the upper house of the parliament.

According to the TV program, following Saturday’s joint session of the Turkmen parliament’s houses, the lawmakers called to confirm by law the former president’s status as the national leader. The parliamentarians discussed and adopted bills on amending the country’s constitution and on enshrining Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s status as the national leader of the Turkmen people, as well as on setting up the People’s Council, which he has headed.

Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov approved and signed the constitutional bills.