Lukashenka's messages: gap between words and deeds

Lukashenka is to make a traditional address to the "national assembly" and the nation on April 20. Journalists looked his addresses of recent years and compared how they were implemented in reality.

Some messages with which Alyaksandr Lukashenka soothed ears of his citizens, are offered by "Salidarnasts" newspaper.

Words: "The undoubtable advantage of our economic development model is the fact that we haven't plunged in debts. A loan is a trap, and not even we, but our children and grandchildren would get there. We should not allow the loan to turn into a means of pressure on our country" (2007)

Deeds: The fact that our country is getting more and more hooked on loans, wit each year increasing the tempo of taking loans, is an obvious fact to everyone. By 2010 Belarus managed to scrape together 22 billion dollars of loans, and it looks as it is not going to stop. The rhetoric of the leader of the state has changed: in 2009 he stated that having received foreign loans our country received "a margin of safety", and he didn't mention debts-free life as an undoubtable advantage of our economic model.

Words: "Recently many people especially in Russia were sneering: will Lukashenka really deliver oil from Azerbaijan, Iran and Venezuela to Belarus, while Russian oil is more profitable. He certainly won't". (2007)

Deeds: Less than 3 years have passed, and Venezuelan oil arrived to our country. First batches of oil have already travelled by railways via Odessa. The volume and economic sensibility of such a deal look doubtful, and Russia does not crack wicked jokes any more. They simply call us crazy.

Words: "If there would be privatization, it will be open and honest. There will be no clannish, 'nomenclature' and unconscientious privatization in the country... Objects would be sold only competitively or by auction... Not names or patrons would compete, but business-plans and social programs for support of labour collectives". (2007)

Deeds: By an example of some recent deals one can see how fair and transparent privatization in our country is. One just can recall the sale of a sweet spot in the centre of Minsk to Oman at symbolic amount of 10 million dollars. The story of selling the state owned package of shares of Velcom is as obscure. The press could not find out the exact sums of the proceeds for a long time. The purchase of Luch watch plant by Franck Muller company from Switzerland is in the same row... By the way, the words and deeds in the latter case were wide apart.

Words: "The main aim here is to preserve manufacturing in the country. It historically belongs to our country. The same concerns the watch plant. I do not know what the government and Paulau are waiting for. They are waiting for me to arrive to the watch plant, they are continuing to ruin it, and some people say let's close it. We will find jobs for people, it is not a problem. The question is different; we can close MTZ and MAZ as well. But what would be left for us? It is our brand. Today watches are manufactured less countries of the world than planes. It is the highest level of technologies".

Deeds: Everyone knows what was the end of the attempts to keep the brand. The plant was sold to the Swiss at 12.41 mln dollars. Experts called this deal absurd and supposed that it was needed as a front to conceal some others which are not revealed.

Words: "Since April 1 (2009) it is a crime to operate at a loss. Operating at a loss is tomorrow's catastrophe. The same concerns the work for warehouses. We will nip in the bud all attempts of welfare mentality of economic entities".

Deeds: By February 1 warehouse inventory were 75.3%. The growth of warehouse inventory was fixed in all spheres of Belarusian economy. Every fifth enterprises worked at a loss by the end of 2009 (18.6%). The sum of losses was 785.9 billion rubles, or 3.5 times more than in the analogous period of the last year. It is obvious that it is a criminal intent.

Words: "Starting from this year we will change approaches to evaluation of the work of agricultural enterprises in principle. You should sow what would be beneficial. But you should not expect governmental grants".

Deeds: Words about decreasing governmental grants to agriculture are heard from the president constantly. However, as said by Vice Premier Ivan Bambiza, in 2009 taken alone 4.6 billion rubles were given to agricultural sector from budgets of all levels, which is 30% more than in 2008. At the same time, despite of such support, profitability of agricultural enterprises has decreased. It was 1.4 billion rubles, or 86% of the year 2008.

Words: "Taxes should stimulate tax-payers to pay taxes legally. The scheme should be clear and simple" (2008).

Deeds: It seems that some progress in this sphere was made. However in November 2008 the World Bank, the Global Financial Corporation and PricewaterhouseCoopers published the 6t annual report "Tax payment 2010. World review". Belarus once again took the 183th and the last position in the rating of tax payment simplicity,

Words: "The main question which disturbs our minds is: who will construct the nuclear power plant in Belarus. This question won't be decided behind the scenes. It will be an open competition. We would not like to put eggs in one basket, as I have said to the Ambassador of Russia. We depend on Russia in other kinds of energy, and we would not like to depend only on Russia in construction of the NPP as well. I am speaking that frankly. We would like the NPP to be built by others." (2007)

Deeds: No matter how the president was "disinclined", the competition was won by the Russians. "Putting eggs in one basket" was promoted by a loan promised by Russia for construction of the NPP. And others are out of the game. "It is laughable! We are offering them almost 2 billion dollars for a unit, and they are offering us conditions for the electoral legislation for us," the president was indignant.

Words: "The aim of the government, of all national and local authorities, even amid the growth of prices for energy resources this year (2007) to keep the positive dynamics of decrease of inflation rate and in the end of the year to reach the targets of the prognosis of the social and economic development of the country, 6-8%".

Deeds: By the end of the year 2007 the official growth of consumer priced was 12.1%, or 1.51 times more than the higher level. The president has never offered such ambitious aims any more.

Words: "Syarhei (Sidorski), we should return to the demand to increase wages. We have no other way out. By the end of the five year period we should make salaries reach 700 dollars, there is no escaping. 500 dollars will be not enough. We need 700 dollars as an average salary in the country. Then we would be able to preserve stability in our society". (2008)

Deeds: It looks as if we won't see stability. The current average salary of Belarusians is not close to 700 dollars, it will hardly reach 500 dollars. At least by the end of 2010. We remind that in February the average salary was 1,016,393 Br, or 346 dollars according to the currency exchange rate. However in the end of 2008 it was 456 dollars.

Words: "Who are these 6 persons the West called political prisoners? Two are convicted for illegal business activities and non-payment of taxes. Two for hooliganism, one for illegal activities and one for calls to activities against the country... We have taken a decision that we are closing the topic. Five are released, the sixth (the president probably meant Alyaksandr Kazulin) refused. What claims do you have for us?"

As for release of the latter the president had most awful prophecies: "They have found a lousy oppositionist who won a percent and a half in the elections, and called him a political prisoner. Opposition does not want him to be released. If he would be released tomorrow, there will be no opposition. This person has nothing sacred".

Deeds: As we remember, Lukashenka's predictions haven't come true: Alyaksandr Kazulin was released, but was no threat for the opposition. And the opposition itself was not against this fact. As for political prisoners, the issue which was allegedly closed by the president in 2008, in all probability this problem can become current in 2010 again.

It is just a short list of facts, when president's words declared during annual addresses to the nation and the National Assembly considerably differed from the deeds. On April 20 we expect another dose of promises. Bu fortunately have learnt not to take to heart president's words.