KAZAN, 23 October (BelTA) – An opposition are the people, who operate inside the country and in the interests of the people. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement in an interview with the BBC reporter Steven Rosenberg on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “An opposition are the people, who operate inside the country in the interests of at least a minimal number of people. Who do you call our ‘leaders’? Where are those leaders? Wake up! Do you consider law breakers our leaders? Even if all the self-exiled opposition activists return to Belarus, they will not win the election. The nation now understands what they wanted to do. If they are abroad, then they should do something for the people. Not for Lukashenko. Instead they beg for money. It is the first issue. The second issue is their appeals not to recognize the future election as valid. The third issue is appeals for more sanctions. They create armed units near our border in order to infiltrate Belarus’ territory. Do you think they are an opposition?”
The president cited another example. In a recent interview Yuri Zenkovich, who had been convicted of organizing a conspiracy for the sake of seizing state power, stated that the conspirators wanted to take the president’s youngest son Nikolai Lukashenko hostage in addition to other people. They wanted to keep him in a cellar in Gomel Oblast and use him for negotiations, for talks, and for pressure on Aleksandr Lukashenko.
“It is one thing that revolts me. The second thing is the plans to gun down the president’s helicopter using a machine gun and so on during a takeoff or a landing. Can you tell me please what would happen if such facts came to light in the United States of America? He would be erased from the face of the earth,” the head of state noted. “And you dare reproach me after this? If you want to come to Belarus, Steve, and meet with me one more time, then you will read this interview and get in my shoes to decide what the Belarus president was supposed to do when faced with such nefarious activities. By the way, several people, who were part of Zenkovich’s group, have been released. Due to illnesses. I’ve released armed insurgents while you talk about some opposition to me.”
“I know what the ‘opposition’ does in the West. We may reveal it in plain text at some point and they will answer to the Belarusian nation for their actions and for their desires. It is not the first story in the history of our people. We’ve had throngs of self-exiled opposition activists. Such as Survilla. Where is she now? She spends your money in America or somewhere else. And these fringe elements will get the same fate,” Aleksandr Lukashenko summarized.
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