President Lukashenko knows precisely what the West thinks of him, and frequently makes clear what he thinks of the West.

Western governments accuse him of trampling on democracy and human rights, and take seriously allegations that Belarus organised death squads to get rid of political opponents.

In return, Mr Lukashenko accuses Western ambassadors of spying, and plotting to overthrow his regime.

"There will be no Kostunica in Belarus!" he said during a televised comments in July.

"No way! This must be clear to you and all those who count on it."

Landslide

Mr Lukashenko came to power by winning a landslide election victory in 1994.

He still tells many ordinary Belarussians what they want to hear: the country will have no truck with economic reform, "order" will be maintained, and Belarus will continue to grow closer to Russia.

Pensions and salaries may be meagre, but for now they continue to be paid on time.

Mr Lukashenko still emphasises his close links with workers in the countryside and in industry.

His supporters refer to him as Bat'ka, or father.

'Dictatorship'

Belarus began to earn its reputation as Europe's last communist dictatorship in 1996, when Mr Lukashenko used a referendum on constitutional changes to rid himself of an awkward parliament.

The new parliament was hand-picked, and the elections to its successor, held in 2000, were widely condemned.

The new constitution also strengthened Mr Lukashenko's control over the judiciary.

The security forces began to be used increasingly ruthlessly to crush dissent, and ministers sacked from the government frequently found themselves harassed or jailed.

Some disappeared.

He is on record as describing Hitler as a madman, but one who deserves credit for building a strong state.

"He is incapable of changing his position. He listens to no-one," says former Prime Minister Mikhail Chigir, now a member of the opposition.

Mr Lukashenko has championed the cause of unification between Belarus and Russia, causing Russian liberals to fear that the Kremlin may be his ultimate political goal.

A passion for sport

Some of Mr Lukashenko's domestic critics have suggested that his authoritarian tendencies could be the result of an unhappy childhood in a small Belarussian village.

It is said that he was the victim of cruel taunts because his mother was unmarried. He himself married, but has separated from his wife.

On one occasion, he declined to meet the chairman of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, Leni Fischer, who was visiting Minsk, on the grounds that he had an important football match to attend.

"Fifty thousand fans are waiting for me," he said. "I cannot let them down."

After extending his first term by two years in the 1996 referendum, Mr Lukashenko has already been in power for seven years. He is now set for another five - or as he put it in a post-election "at least five years".

Some analysts have taken this as a hint that the 47-year-old leader could alter the constitution again, to allow presidents to serve three or more consecutive terms.