The President of Turkmenistan has attracted derision after attempting to portray himself on state media as an all-action sharp-shooting toughman.
Bizarre footage of Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov - dubbed the "Tyrant of Turkmenistan" - in full military uniform while wearing dark sunglasses and a 1,000-yard stare, was broadcast - with not even a hint of irony - on state media earlier this week.
"Picking up one of the types of weapons presented to him, the head of state demonstrated the precision of his aim, which served as evidence of his high-level of military preparedness," said the news broadcast.
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Berdymukhamedov is called "Arkadag" in the ex-Soviet state, a name that means "protector". In the footage, the 60-year-old lives up to the title, hitting a target multiple times in the chest while a row of "amazed" soldiers erupt into applause behind him.
Though political dissent has been suppressed in the central Ssian republic, Berdymukhamedov's show of strength was mocked by an opposition website called the Chronicles of Turkmenistan, which edited the broadcast to include music and clips from 1985 Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie, Commando.
Berdymukhamedov, a former dentist, came to power in 2006 following the death of Saparmurat Niyazov, who was widely known for renaming the months of the year after himself and his mother.
The new President has "since been doing his best to dwarf his predecessor's efforts with his own larger-than-life persona, unveiling a 21-metre high marble and gold leaf statue of himself two years ago in the capital, Ashgabat," says the Daily Telegraph.
Rights groups and activists accuse Berdymukhammedov and his government of quashing dissent and imposing draconian restrictions on free speech.
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