ASHKHABAD -- Turkmenistan's President-for-Life Saparmurat Niyazov on Friday ruled out staging presidential elections in his Central Asian state, in a move that is likely to see the leader indeed remain head of state until death.

"After discussions we came to the opinion that it is not necessary to hold presidential elections," Niyazov said at an annual meeting of the country's People's Council Broadcast live on Turkmen television.

The announcement by the 62-year-old leader, who has ruled Turkmenistan with an iron grip since he became Communist Party chief in 1985, was greeted by enthusiastic applause from the 2,000 delegates at the gathering.

Niyazov had suggested staging presidential polls in 2010 at a People's Council meeting last year, despite his election in 1999 as Turkmenistan's president-for-life.

"After 70 years of age it is difficult to run a state. After 70 a person cannot be president," said Niyazov, who will be 70 in 2010, although he failed to mention whether he would stand in the poll.

But People's Council delegates, including cabinet members, lawmakers, local representatives and judges, called on Niyazov Thursday to abandon the idea of holding the vote. Sapar Valiyev, head of state oil company Turkmenneft, appealed to Niyazov "not to propose such initiatives and not to discuss the issue of presidential elections until the end of your life."

"Our president has all the talents to be president for life.

Lets forget about the initiative to hold presidential elections. Who agrees?" asked Agricultural Farm Chief Murad Sapyyev.

There was an overwhelming show of hands in the room.

The Turkmen president is the subject of an elaborate personality cult in impoverished but gas-rich Turkmenistan, where he has amassed absolute power over the 17 years of his rule.

Niyazov, who calls himself Turkmenbashi or father of all Turkmen, controls all branches of the government and media and also holds the posts of prime minister, commander-in-chief, and head of the country's only registered party.

Giants portraits of Niyazov hang from every public building and the capital is dotted with golden statues of the president, in uniform, sitting, standing and striding forward purposefully.

But while the president has used the country's gas wealth to build golden-domed palaces and opulent parks to add to his self-glorification campaign, many of the country's inhabitants remain mired in poverty.

First elected president in 1990 with 98.3 percent of the vote, Niyazov's term was extended in nationwide referendums in 1992 and again in 1994, when 99.99 percent of voters agreed to let him rule until 2003, AFP reported.

Niyazov was named president-for-life in 1999 after an unopposed vote in Parliament. The Turkmen leader said Friday that "the law from 1999 (which saw Niyazov elected president-for-life) remains in force."