Ramzan Kadyrov, the controversial leader of Chechnya in southern Russia, is looking for a new assistant. And he wants Russian television viewers to help him find one.

In a bizarre adaptation of the television format that made the Apprentice frontman Lord Sugar a household name in Britain and propelled Donald Trump to improbable political credibility in the United States, Mr Kadyrov has called for viewers across Russia to register for the competition to help him “develop the republic.”

“We’re inviting the best people to the republic who want to work to the benefit the people and the Russian Federation,” Mr Kadyrov said in a clip run several times during the first episode of the show on Thursday evening.

Contestants will be expected to have to vision to help plan the “strategic development” of Chechnya, organise lavish big-budget weddings, and show soldierly ability because they “must be ready for anything,” said Mr Kadyrov.