Freedom House: West also needs to prepare a package of assistance to Belarus should Lukashenka be removed from power

The West also needs to prepare a package of economic and political assistance should Lukashenka be removed from power one way or another.

This opinion was expressed by David J. Kramer, the president of the USA-based human rights organization Freedom House, in his testimony before the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs on July 26, the press service of the US Embassy in Minsk reports.

“Alyaksandr Lukashenka is unquestionably on the thinnest ice of his political life, and we may be celebrating his departure from power,” Kramer said.

“The hardships Belarusians are now experiencing are leading many of them to take to the streets in protest, despite risk of injury and imprisonment. This growing dissent and empowerment of the people around the country, not just in Minsk, reflects that Belarusians have decided to not be intimidated by fear any longer,” Kramer thinks.

He also notes that Lukashenka’s support dropping below 30 percent for the first time since he came to power in 1994, BelaPAN informs.

Kramer supposes the outcome in Belarus matters greatly for the US and Europe, because “a brutal dictatorship on the doorstep of the EU is unacceptable and contrary to the decades-long vision of a Europe ‘whole, free, and at peace.’”

“Should Lukashenka attempt to extend his rule by selling the country’s valuable economic assets to Moscow, he would weaken Belarus’ independence and stability,” Kramer says. “That is why, while ratcheting up pressure against the regime, the West also needs to prepare a package of economic and political assistance should Lukashenka flee or be removed from power one way or another. Those around Lukashenka need to know that a brighter future lies ahead after Lukashenka is gone.”

“Unconditional release of all political prisoners, elimination of repressive security measures, support for independent media and civil society, respect for rule of law, and free and competitive elections are essential for Belarus to take its rightful position as a European nation-state,” the president of Freedom House emphasized.