A golden bloody pistol as a gift, how very dictatorial of you. But wait, it gets even better:

He has presided over military parades in a replica of his father’s own uniform, and been photographed around major military exercises with the golden sidearm in the belt of his camouflage uniform.

When Kolya he high-fived Hugo Chavez in 2012, his suit jacket slipped back to reveal a holstered pistol on his belt.

Get in on the action Barack, everyone’s doing it.

It’s all a bit odd when you consider that the Belarussian constitution sets the minimum age for a president at 35, which is a full 24 years away. You might say it’s the work shadow project that never ends, although Lukashenko may have ulterior motives:

“Dynastic succession is a long-term possibility. But Kolya is also very young, and that is very deliberate: it sends the message; ‘I may be grooming my son for power, but you won’t be rid of me any time soon,” said Andrew Wilson, a senior policy fellow at the European Council for Foreign Relations and an expert on post-Soviet politics.

Ah yes, the classic ‘you’re stuck with me and you better play ball’ show of strength. Good luck Belarus, here’s hoping you get some good news like this in the near future.

[source:telegraph]