MINSK, 20 August (BelTA) – It is inadmissible to freeze the situation in the country lest stagnation happens. It is necessary to move forward and implement changes but only within the limits of the law. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement during a ceremony held on 20 August to present state awards to representatives of defense, security, and law enforcement agencies, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “I would like to draw your attention to one circumstance. Some people in your environment, in police, in the Armed Forces, fail to understand why the president needs this referendum and the refreshed Constitution after all and say there is no need to do it. They don't put it like that but I can say it more expressively. Guys, no! We cannot act like that. First of all, we've made a promise. Second, you have to remember their slogans [opposition's]: ‘Changes, changes, changes'. And we said: yes, changes are necessary.”
The head of state went on saying: “And they are truly necessary. We cannot freeze the situation in the country lest Brezhnev's times will be repeated. Young people don't remember it but we, the older generation, remember that period of stagnation well. This is why movement forward is necessary, changes are necessary. And then we said: yes, they are necessary but these changes have to be legal. If we have to move towards changes, we have to start with the Constitution.”
The president noted that it is not the most important thing. “We've been moving forward as it is. You and I have created the first sovereign and independent state. What else do we need? We will go down in history. The key thing is what will come after us, who will come after us, who will be the president, and what government system will be used. If, god forbid, the history repeats itself [and an attempt to shatter the state and the government is made], will the new generation hold the country together or not? A topical question,” he remarked.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed he is no saint, nevertheless, no blatant systemic errors had been made over the course of a quarter of a century. “We didn't make those. Yes, there were mistakes and shortcomings. We were pioneers. We didn't have anyone to learn from. This is why it is possible that some mistakes happened. But we didn't make systemic mistakes. We didn't break things and didn't crush things. There is no dictatorship in Belarus, I've already said that,” the president said. “I don't have nuclear weapons, cyber hackers and the rest. I cannot press a button to upturn the world. What kind of dictatorship are you talking about?!”
Yet Aleksandr Lukashenko admitted that a very rigid state machine had been built in Belarus. “If we hadn't done it, we would not have created this state. You are military men, you understand me,” he stressed.
Continuing the line of thought, the head of state asked a number of questions about what happens once a new president is elected in Belarus: “Can you guarantee that the new president will calmly move the country forward? Who can give guarantees in such a situation? When the West puts pressure on us, wants to tear up the country and split it between various countries or even merge Belarus with Poland entirely as they say. Ukraine is turning up the heat on us. You can see what is going on. If, god forbid, NATO crosses the border from over there, Russia will not stay aside.”
“Because we are talking about Russia's security here, contact with the main adversary – NATO. As you can see, due to this surrounding we have to hustle and always be able to feel all of it at our fingertips in order to avoid blunders. In order to preserve our statehood,” the president stated.
Aleksandr Lukashenko also mentioned events in Afghanistan, which the entire world is concerned about now. “Afghanistan has emerged. Everyone is distracted by Afghanistan now. But don't think that we will be forgotten. Naturally there is a new international configuration. This is why it is necessary to be extremely accurate and cautious and never act like a bull in a china shop,” he said.
“One sometimes has to tread on a very thin ice. This is why we have to organize movement later on in a way to at least prevent the new government from destroying the country,” Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded.
