MINSK, 23 July (BelTA) – It is necessary to take decisive measures in response to destructive appeals in mass media despite the election campaign. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko gave the instruction as he met with people in charge of the country's economic bloc on 23 July, BelTA has learned.
The head of state drew the attention of officials and executives, including the Belarus President Administration, to the need to pay closer attention to work in the information realm. He said: “Certainly, I've been recently surprised by performance of the presidential administration, the press secretary, yes, I think, [Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus] Natalya Ivanovna [Kochanova] could also take a closer look at it.”
The president dwelled on conventional mass media such as newspapers. “Take a look at printed mass media. Today I took all the newspapers. I took a look at the so-called Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi [Komsomol Truth in Belarus]. The newspaper is about to become a tabloid. It turns out that while he was either in Moscow or the Kremlin, their head came forward with a statement and biased reporting began,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted. “Why don't they go to the fields where there is definitely a battle going on, a battle for the harvest? Belarusian farmers have to gather in unprecedented harvest. Take photos of the hardworking farmers. Tell the story of the ordinary people, who work hard to feed the country. Because tomorrow these pen-pushers will run to the shop to buy some bread for themselves, for their friends and families, for their kids.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko said he wants people in charge to perform their duties without waiting for special instructions. “Listen! We are masters of this country. Do you jobs. If you can't, tell me that you can't. Other people will be able to do them,” the Belarusian leader stated.
“And then everyone in the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs just sits idle waiting for the president's command. What kind of an attitude to the country is that? The BBC, Radio Svaboda, Radio Free Europe, and so on. Those web streams… They go beyond biased reporting. They call for mass riots. Why do you tolerate it? You've accredited them here,” the head of state noted.
Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out that measures must be taken in response to such situations despite the pre-election period. “Don't wait for the end of the election campaign. Get them out of the country if they fail to observe our laws and encourage people to stage maidan riots,” he said.
“I am not going to repeat it despite the fact that we've entered this complicated election period. Insults after insults cannot be tolerated. Well, I can live with me being smeared all over. But they are now attacking completely guiltless heads of election commissions, who have families and kids,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.
