"A photograph of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in tight swimming trunks triggered outrage in the parliament of the former Soviet state on Wednesday.

'For me, he (Nazarbayev) is a God-appointed person,' said Bekbolat Tleukhan, member of the pro-Nazarbayev Nur-Otan party that controls every seat in the lower house.

'This is not just impolite, it's pure shame. ... It goes against all our traditions.'

In the paparazzi-style shot, published by the Freedom of Speech newspaper this month, the 67-year-old president is walking on a beach, looking tanned and smiling."

(Via Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Outrage as president snapped in swimming trunks: .)

| in the news | 29 September 2007; 12:07:41 PM |# | | |