Lukashenka Says He Will Not Hold on to Power Until Death

Aliaksandr Lukashenka answered a question about Belarus’ future after he leaves the presidency. In an interview with RT host Rick Sanchez on April 17 in Minsk, he said he wants Belarus to remain a peaceful country with equal opportunities for all, citing his youngest son Mikalai Lukashenka as an example.

“I have done a lot to ensure that Belarus is what it is: a peaceful, calm country. Of course, I think about preserving it and ensuring that it remains a land of opportunity for any person, so that people can realize themselves here. In this respect, we have succeeded, we have achieved this. And people live here calmly, raise children, receive an education — under equal conditions. Whether it is the president’s son or anyone else.

My son studied in a rural school together with everyone else and maintains relationships with many of them. He enrolled at Peking University — one of the best universities in the world, where teaching is conducted in English. But he worked toward it. He always studied well, alongside everyone else — and the conditions were equal for all — I monitored this closely. To some extent, he outperformed half of his classmates. Others also had opportunities. Many, very many graduated from universities and received higher education. Therefore, I want Belarus like this to be preserved. Some have more opportunities, some less, but opportunities exist. The current president is also an example of this,” Lukashenka said.

Sanchez предложил представить ситуацию, в которой they are both retired and fishing in the United States, while Belarus already has a new leader.

“You spoke about opportunities. Will the next person have the opportunity to become a leader, or, as they say in the West, such opportunities do not exist in Belarus?” he asked.

Lukashenka replied that he could hold on to power until death, but called it an “extreme option” and said it would not happen.

“Well, listen, only foolish people in the West can reason like that. Even if I were such a dictator who would hold on to power for a long time, I will still pass away, and there will be another leader here. That is the extreme option. But it will not be like that. It is the decision of our Belarusian people. A decision. As they decide, so it will be. I remember when I was elected for the first time — it was the decision of the Belarusian people, and I then received 80.3% of the vote. At a time when everyone was shouting about falsifications — 80.3. I remember this, the people stood behind me like a wall. The percentages were high. Therefore, remembering this, I will follow this path. If the people do not want it — you cannot force affection, as we say. Therefore, I think that long before I pass away, and we are retired and fishing in the United States, a normal person will be working here. We have many good, capable people,” he said.