Stanislau Shushkevich: Lukashenka is the biggest corrupt official of the system

The Belarusian dictator has always been a “pure rascal”, the first head of independent Belarus says.

Stanislau Shushkevich, the first head of independent Belarus, spoke about “militant ignorance” of the current authorities, corruption and travel bans in an interview with eurobelarus.info.

Do you feel humiliated and insulted when you receive 3,200 rubles of pension, when your book cannot be published in Belarus, when Lukashenka speaks in a derogatory tone about your meetings on the highest level?

You know, a person can insult, but a fool cannot. You cannot be humiliated by a lout and illiterate person. Of course, I feel he is insulting, showing off and demonstrating lack of intellect, but for me it is an absolutely different part of human existence. I can say for sure that none of the decent people whom I respect has insulted, humiliated or offended me. I haven't lost any of my old friends. This is more important for me than the way this ignoramus behaves. I don't draw attention to him.

I am not going to behave like, for example, Vaitovich. He was president of the Academy of Science, but Lukashenka began to say that Vaitovich had snorted at the feed box and other things. Vaitovich began to protest for some reasons: I didn't snort, I didn't do anything bad, I was a honest and decent man. It's ridiculous to apologise to this militant ignorance. It's like proving the obvious.

I could refuse to accept my miserable pension and receive social pension. But I will never do it, because I can earn much more today.

It was a moment when a travel ban was imposed on me. I had to go to the EU through Russia. But I went abroad and earned by reading lectures. I worked to earn.

It's an interesting story about the travel ban. I chose indirect routes in the beginning, but later I was given a notice by police saying I was involved in a criminal case. I spent much time trying to figure out what the case was. Finally, I had to say in the office of the minister of justice that the minister is  a moron, literally, if none in his ministry could say which court had heard my suit. As a result, the Ministry of Internal Affairs gave me a note a week later saying I had been put on the blacklist due to a technical glitch. This is called well thought out negligence.

When speaking about “militant ignorance” of the acting authorities, do you mean other people besides Lukashenka? Can the established Belarusian system survive without him?

I mean the acting ruler first of all. But he has enough adherents of militant ignorance in his team. Let's recall Yarmoshyna with her remarks about borscht – it's a clear example of militant ignorance. I can say the same about many people I know personally. About Prakapovich, who became a hero of the country. It's worth noting that not all people in Lukashenka's team can be described in this way. For example, Rubinau, whom I know for a long time, is a 100% rascal. He is not a militant ignoramus. He is a sycophant. He does everything to please his master. Can Myasnikovich and Martynau be considered ignorant? No, of course not. These people serve militant ignorance. By the way, late Hanchar and Bulakhou as well as Sinitsyn and Lyabedzka used to serve Lukashenka. Today other people serve him. Let's look how, for example, Charhinets has to find excuses for Lukashenka's ignorance and say that Bykau wrote poems.

Can the current system in Belarus live without Lukashenka?

Yes, it can perfectly. It is only a little bit better than the system of the Soviet Union. It also allows many high-ranking officials to run business. Almost all Lukashenka's servants run businesses. What an example does he give? He looks like the biggest corrupt official in the country, when he says he accepts presents worth several hundreds of thousands of euros. Sorry, but I remember well that I had to refuse to accept presents, because I found it unacceptable to take the presents costing more than a tie. That's why I have a collection of ties.