Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow vs William Tolbert

Berdimuhamedow reversed Niyazov's closure of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences, reopening the institution. This was part of a broader effort to restore some educational and scientific institutions that had been dismantled under his predecessor.

Following the death of President Saparmurat Niyazov, Berdimuhamedow won the presidential election with 89% of the vote. He succeeded Niyazov as the second president of independent Turkmenistan, inheriting a highly authoritarian system.

Berdimuhamedow presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the TAPI pipeline in Mary, Turkmenistan. The project aimed to export Turkmen natural gas to South Asia, but faced security and financing challenges, with construction repeatedly delayed.

Berdimuhamedow awarded himself the title 'Hero of Turkmenistan' for the third time, along with other state honors. This was part of an ongoing personality cult that included statues, official songs, and renaming of places after him.

Berdimuhamedow resigned as president, triggering a snap election won by his son Serdar. He then became Chairman of the People's Council (Halk Maslahaty), a newly empowered body that retained him as the 'national leader' with significant influence over policy.

Tolbert became President of Liberia on July 23, 1971, after the death of William Tubman. He continued Tubman's policies of economic openness and pro-Western alignment but faced growing economic inequality and political unrest.

In April 1979, Tolbert's government proposed a price increase for rice, a staple food. This sparked massive protests and riots in Monrovia, resulting in dozens of deaths. The government was forced to reverse the price hike, but the crisis weakened Tolbert's authority.

On April 12, 1980, Tolbert was assassinated during a coup led by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe. Doe's soldiers stormed the presidential mansion, killing Tolbert and several of his aides. The coup ended 133 years of Americo-Liberian rule and plunged Liberia into decades of instability.