FEATURE-Turkmen autocracy lives on as market reforms bite

* New personality cult flourishes in Turkmenistan

* Subsidies remain but currency and price reforms unpopular

* Political dissent still suppressed

By Olzhas Auyezov

ASHGABAT, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Almost three years after the death of the "Leader of all Turkmens", Turkmenistan's people find their new leader comes with a similarly autocratic cult of personality, but a new readiness to carry out painful reforms.

President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has not taken down the golden statues of the horse-loving Saparmurat Niyazov from the streets. But his own portraits, some of which show him riding a horse, feature prominently on the white marble buildings of the capital Ashgabat.

Gas, electricity and water are still free in Turkmenistan, which sits on the world's fourth largest gas reserves, but gasoline has gone up eight-fold and a decision to use market exchange rates is causing pain.

Ordinary people frequently complain about rising prices and low pay, and a hotel guard says his family of four can barely get by on a salary of $200 a month. But mutterings of discontent are muted at best, since Berdymukhamedov has shown himself no more tolerant of political dissent than his predecessor.