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Lukashenko: Liberalized electoral laws will not lead to the Maidan in Belarus

MINSK, 23 March (BelTA) – The electoral laws have changed and become more liberal in Belarus; therefore, there will be a tougher competition during the forthcoming presidential election. However, these changes will not lead to the Maidan in our country, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told reporters on 23 March, BelTA has learnt.

“The liberalization (of the electoral laws – BelTA’s note) was needed. In fact, it might toughen the competition in some way. The forthcoming election campaign might become more open and transparent,” Alexander Lukashenko said when asked about the impact of the amendments to the electoral legislation on the presidential election.

“I do not think that the changes are so dramatic that they will lead to some Maidan in Belarus, God forbid,” the Belarusian President said. 

The head of state believes that the political competition was tough enough during the previous election campaigns. “It was the case with the presidential elections, the recent election. The democratization went wild and one would get sick from what he saw on TV, in the press, in the streets and classrooms. There was unprecedented openness. You know what it ended up with. On the one hand, we elected the President; on the other hand, “democratizers” grew very active and tried to democratize our country using crowbars, hammer picks and spades. You know what it led to,” Alexander Lukashenko said. According to the President, the Belarusians changed their attitude to these events after they looked at them through the prism of the Ukrainian crisis.

Alexander Lukashenko is confident that the elections will be honest, open, principled and fair.

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