MINSK, 30 October (BelTA) – The newly appointed aides to the president – inspectors for Brest Oblast, Grodno Oblast, and the city of Minsk are supposed to take care of order and discipline in the regions. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the relevant statement as he met with personnel of the Internal Affairs Ministry on 30 October, BelTA has learned.
Talking about yesterday's personnel reshuffle, Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “Since the situation is complicated, I decided to reform the state administration system to some degree. The idea was to reinforce the combination of experience, dedication, patriotism, and talent in order to forestall such aspirations – I mean those, who have crossed the red line.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko refuted rumor that the personnel decisions reflected the president's mistrust in those sent to work in the regions. “Some already claim that the president mistrusts someone. Trust me, you've known me for many years. I mistrust only traitors. I am ready to work with everyone one can work with. Ready to bring them around, break them if you want, put them on normal rails,” he said. “I have never had any arrogance. I know I was a hard man to deal with for many people in my life. This is why Yuri Khadzhimuratovich [Karayev] and Aleksandr Petrovich [Barsukov] are assigned to important jobs. As well as Valery Pavlovich [Vakulchik]. I am grateful to him. He could have said he'd done enough already and was ready to retire. He didn't. ‘I will go to my birthplace and will protect it as long as I live!' It is truly befitting an officer and a general.”
“You may be wondering why the military personnel got the appointments. This work will not stop at that. We are looking for military personnel to take care of other oblasts as well. We don't want to simply stabilize the situation in the country. We will stabilize it. It is not a problem. We just have to do it beautifully and patiently. I would very much like the president's aides, the president's inspectors, to ensure order and discipline in Belarus. We cannot do without them,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
