MINSK, 19 August (BelTA) – Businessmen should not try to cover up machinations and violations of the law by going into politics. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement as he met with Tax and Duties Minister Sergei Nalivaiko and Chairman of the State Control Committee Vasily Gerasimovich on 19 August, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “I would like to raise the issue today. Judging by last year's lessons we've recently seen who is who and have started harshly demanding the payment of taxes and the normal behavior of simple businessmen. I don't mean that a businessperson has no rights and has no right to an opinion of their own. Absolutely not. But I've always emphasized and I think smart businessmen heard me that politics and business are different things.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that the law cannot accommodate every eventuality and there are different laws both in politics and business. “Any businessman, who wants to pursue politics, should rigorously observe the law. Politicians and businessmen should observe laws. But if someone steals things as it often happens (and we know examples) and then goes into politics to cover it all up and blame the government if something happens by claiming he is an honest businessman and faces accusations only because of his political career… Some current prisoners behaved like that. Such things will be definitely stopped. And you shouldn't take offense with the authorities,” the president stressed.
Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that he had previously studied Vladimir Lenin's works, who said that a government is worth something if it knows how to protect itself. “But I can add that a government is worth something only if it can protect itself and its people,” he stressed. “The government is not a revolving door, with people coming and going all the time. It is a very serious matter. It is the state, people, millions of people. This is why businessmen need to clearly understand it.”
“I'd like to emphasize one more time: it does not mean that businessmen, heads of companies are forbidden to pursue a political career. That's what elections are for. Go, fight, and be incorruptible. Live the life in a way so that you couldn't be accused of anything. There is this guy with pictures and the rest. He stole millions of U.S. dollars and went to the polls. It is understandable why. He needed to cover it all up. Now it is obvious that all of it was thieving,” the president stated.
“This is why people with clean hands should pursue a political career,” the Belarusian leader concluded.
