'The reappointment of a dictator by a dictator': Lukashenko set for 7th term as Belarusian president I'm staring into the eyes of Vladimir Lenin, the Russian revolutionary who founded the Soviet Union.
"Bat'ka is not only the person we have to thank for a child's birth, Bat'ka will also feed the child, protect them, get them on their feet, and create all the conditions for their development and confidence in their future.".
A huge portrait of Lenin dominates the room in which I'm interviewing Sergei Syrankov, the party chief.
After 31 years in power, Lukashenko is set for a seventh consecutive term, even though he's not campaigning.
"We call him Bat'ka," says Sergei Syrankov, referring to Belarusians' affectionate nickname for the 70-year-old, meaning 'father'.
