A CONTROVERSIAL leader and key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched his own version of Donald Trump's hit TV show The Apprentice.
Ramzan Kadyrov, 40, the President of the Chechen Republic — a disputed area in southern Russia – was seen in 'The Team' on Russian state television Rossiya earlier this week.
Kadyrov, who has been accused of human rights violations, corruption, political killings and forced disappearances, gave each team 3,000 people – mainly women in headscarves – and told them to organise the crowd to depict the team's name in a football stadium.
They are fighting for the chance to become the leader's assistant.
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Voice of America reports Rossiya opened Wednesday's episode by showing Kadyrov hiking in the Caucasus mountains and talking about fighting Russian troops with his father Akhmad Kadyrov, who was assassinated in 2004.
"There used to be a machine gun, an automatic rifle or a grenade launcher. Now I have this cane," Kadyrov said, as he showed the cane he carries on mountain hikes.
The contestants are mainly men and women from non-Muslim regions of Russia.
Kadyrov is a strict Muslim and women do not occupy senior government positions in his administration.
One female contestant asked him if she could ever occupy a top spot, and was told: "The woman is a housewife."
She was later seen on camera saying: "I was going to follow it up by asking 'So why did you invite women to participate?'"
The former separatist rebel fought against the Russians in the First Chechen War, only to change sides and join Moscow in the second conflict in 1999.
Human rights groups say he personally oversees the torture of political opponents in secret dungeons and runs death squads known as 'Kadyrovites'.
He is a huge fan of mixed martial arts and three of his young sons were recently seen in a televised bout.
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