Lukashenka Fails To Soft-Talk IMF For Loan, Calls Reforms “Gangster-Like”

Lukashenka has spoken before the old and the new “chamber men” today.

The dictator started the conversation from crisis and reforms, which the IMF is demanding he should hold today. Judging from his reaction, the provision of the loan has been denied so far.

— I am ready for any reforms. The president is ready for drastic reforms, even the more drastic ones that the IMF demands today. The question is, whether you are ready for them. I am addressing to you, the people’s representatives. Ask everyone whether they are ready for the reforms.

Lukashenka said he had watched the TV-debates with the participation of the “so-called opposition”.

— They keep saying: reforms, reforms, reforms. I am sitting there watching, thinking, journalists, could any of you ask what exactly they meant by reforms? You have to see this – they all responded differently, getting mixed up in terminology. This proves they took something here, something there, and try to convey all this to the people.”

Lukashenka remains convinced that the opposition is determined to break the existing sociopolitical system of the country.

— They want to hold the reforms under their patterns, which is, in a gangster-like way. This means, privatization and distribution of the state property among their relatives and allies. Paid education and health care, which only the moneybags can afford.

Lukashenka thinks that raising the tariffs for the communal services will only lead to a greater percentage of non-payments.

— What will we have in the end? Will we make anyone’s life in the country better? So why breaking the current state of affairs, if the reforms give nothing, if the things do not get better? I think there is no need for that, if there is any – let the new parliament speak up.

On falsified “elections”

According to the dictator, the passed “parliamentary elections” turned out to be a great challenge for Belarus as they were held in the very complicated conditions.

“Most importantly because we needed to break the prevailing stereotype in the Western countries that Belarus allegedly did not fulfill the democratic norms during the all-people voting. However, no one has identified the said democratic norms so far, — the Belarusian dictator noted. — Therefore, the entire electoral process was under the close supervision of numerous foreign observers, whom we invited both from the West and from the East."

According to him, the Belarusian side gratefully accepted the foreign colleagues' constructive recommendations concerning the improvement of the electoral legislation.

We remind, the OSCE observers did not recognize the parliamentary elections in Belarus as free and democratic, and the Belarusian authorities refused to follow the OSCE recommendations as for the electoral legislation.

About guerrillas in the woods

“We must forget the “us-them”, “friend-or-foe” way of thinking. We must act as accurately and carefully as possible in the foreign policy with our possibilities and resources not to outrage the countries, especially close neighbours, — Lukashenka said. – We will only benefit from pursuing normal well-weighed policy. Because today we appear in the epicenter of the events which are happening around us.”

“Why taking weapons and go hiding in the moss, becoming guerrillas? We don’t need that. So I assume it’s stupid and short-sighted to think there are friends in the West and Russia is an enemy,” — Lukashenka said.

On “excess” Belarusization

“Maybe I am obsolete, but the Russians remain our brothers, with whom we have lived since long ago,” — Lukashenka said. — They proclaim various policies and sometimes act without coordination with their people’s actions. There are the people of this sort there, you know. But I am talking here about the Russian people, the Russians, who think the world of Belarusians.”

Basing on the above, the dictator stressed the danger of an aspiration to destroy the Russian language and culture in Belarus and said that "it is necessary to think before saying "Down with the Russian culture".

Speaking about the Russian culture, Lukashenka asked a rhetorical question: why throwing away something, in which a whole generation of Belarusians embedded their minds, aspirations and hopes.

“The Russian language and culture, probably, remain ours by one third. Then, one may say there are many nations in Russia, including the sakha and Chukotka. However, we haven’t heard anyone saying they should not develop their language. Meanwhile, some homegrown experts in the East are beginning to blame us for being excessively Belarusian. What nonsense is that? We are a nation, and each nation has its own characteristics. And most importantly, in addition to the territorial integrity and sovereignty — this is the language. Why should we abandon the Belarusian language? However, those who advocate the Belarusian language and oppose it to Russian, reproaching others for not speaking Belarusian, — I mean, please!” — he said.

About parties under control

“I am in no case against growing of the parties’ role, but it should not be done artificially at the background on the counterstand with the government,” — the Belarusian dictator said. He noted that today the “opposition” representatives were in the “parliament” already.

"So, why didn’t the opposition win? Why are so few of their representatives in the "parliament"? (Honestly, I would like to have more — just so that they stop accusing us of this.) The answer is simple: our opposition remains very far from the people's interests. Those who were closer to those interests (real oppositionists and not the enemies of what is done in the country), got to the "parliament". And then again, our people can no longer be fooled with the tales of the luxury life overseas.” Lukashenka stated that the "victory" of a few "true opposition-minded" deputies provoked quite a stir among the leadership of their parties.

“The question is, do they really want to take the power in their hands? Do they really know what to do when they actually have the power?” – the dictator asked. – “Trust me, I know them. They don’t know what to do. As a state leader, I cannot give any power in these hands. However, I will act delicately, accurately, and in compliance with our constitution,” – the dictator underlined.

On “wearing two hats” in foreign policy

“We are not balancing, not wearing two hats as some are trying to state. We are forced to pursue such policy in order not to offend anyone, not to cause any harm, to survive and not to become any sort of a province again. Is it some wrong point of view? This is not something I made up, this is the embodiment of the ideas and aspirations of the Belarusian people ", — Lukashenka said.

“So, don’t reproach us that we are balancing or something, trying to wear two or three hats or whatsoever. It’s not true. We are doing everything to keep the country and the people at this very piece of land. This is all our policy is about,” — the dictator underlined. He added: “We are ready to cooperate with anyone for that. But it should be realized, when they suppressed us and imposed the sanctions, we survived. The time came and the West abolished the sanctions.”

"Together with the Russian people we will defend our common Homeland westwards”

"The Belarusian army is equipped with the most modern weapons and is able to repel any aggressor. In this regard, we can speak of a complete modernization of our army, we almost finished it. We have adapted it to the possible war that could be started against our country — from the struggle in the information space to a hot war. But you have to understand that everything I say is to ensure no war ever happens. We will not go saber-rattling for some steepness, " — Lukashenka said.

"We do not want to get involved in any international conflicts. Therefore, we will not fight in Syria: it is impossible for us, and there is no need in that. But we are worried about the Syrian people, we render and will render all possible assistance to the Syrians. We will not go to Ukraine on tanks, we will go there on tractors. They are our brothers, this is the Slavic unity, which no one is allowed to destroy ", — the head of the state said. "We, together with the Russian people, the Russians will protect the common homeland here, on the western direction which is of no less importance to Russia,” — the dictator said.