Andrei Sannikov: “We will push for change of power”

“Any meltdown in Europe’s attitude towards the dictatorial regime of Lukashenka would lead to new harsh crackdown inside Belarus,” stated the leader of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Andrei Sannikov.

Yesterday Andrei Sannikov took part in the rally of solidarity with the arrested leaders of entrepreneurs Mikalay Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka. The rally was brutally disbanded by policemen and riot policemen, many of its participants beaten.

According to the leader of the “European Belarus”, battery of people during peaceful rallies on February 14 and the Day of Belarusian Solidarity, February 16, demonstrates that Alyaksandr Lukashenka is not going to change anything in the system of his power.

“The Belarusian regime needs European money and legalization of dictatorship, that’s why no concrete moves follow the nice statements about liberalisation. Attempts to close eyes to the nature of Lukashenka’s regime, both by some European officials and some oppositionists, would lead nowhere. Lukashenka would continue crackdown on opposition, counting on Europeans’ keeping silent, and thus they would play in the same league with him. In such a case it would be easier for him to reach agreement with people who had betrayed principles of democracy and human rights defence,” Andrei Sannikov states.

According to the politician, in this connection the present visit of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is indicative. They refused to meet with the “Young Front” organisation, which activists were beaten on February 14.

“The PACE representatives could appear on the square yesterday and prevent another battery. But it looks as it is more important for them to hear representatives of the regime to tell them about “liberalisation”, Andrei Sannikov believes.

“The peaceful rallies of February 14 and 16 demonstrated that the real opposition exists in Belarus, and only they have the key to democratisation of the country. We will show solidarity with all democrats whose rights are violated, we shall determinedly fight for termination of political crackdown and release of our fellow activists who are imprisoned now. Both the regime and the opposition would have to deal with this particular opposition. And this opposition has adopted the role of social protection of the Belarusian nation.

Lukashenka’s regime would waste any Western money for preserving its repressive system, and not for searching for the way out if the crisis. The real opposition in Belarus would never agree for a secret understanding with the current political regime, it would push for change of power. Only in this way Belarus would aftermaths of the current crisis and find the way out of the grave economic situation,” said the leader of the “European Belarus”.