Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 27 December (BelTA) – All the civil servants should work in a way to stay above public reproach. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement on 27 December as he made several personnel decisions, BelTA has learned.

The press service of the Belarusian head of state quoted Alexander Lukashenko as saying that in the year of presidential elections new appointments and personnel rotation, the movement of personnel at all levels, particularly in the personnel registry of the president and the government, represent an established tradition. Alexander Lukashenko stressed that there was nothing extraordinary about these personnel decisions.

“I would like the new composition of the government, of the top government agencies to work hard in the run-up to the election. Nobody should have any doubts about whether they will continue doing their jobs after the election. If things turn out well, I am ready to work with this composition of the government and these officials even after the election,” said the President.

Alexander Lukashenko added that he still had some personnel in reserve, whom he is ready to employ after the election in order to perfect the existing personnel composition of the government agencies that will have to pass the exam before the nation.

The President reminded that the process of personnel rotation had started a long time before. A number of officials were appointed in the past, including the heads of the Grodno Oblast and Minsk Oblast administrations, the Minsk city administration, the State Control Committee, the State Customs Committee, the state secretary of the Security Council and his deputy, the head of the Belarus President Property Management Directorate, ministers for housing and public utilities, information, culture, defense, and finance.

“As I promised, this process was the most important one for me in the pre-election year,” said the head of state.

Alexander Lukashenko remarked that due to their transfer to other jobs he had dismissed Mikhail Myasnikovich, Nadezhda Yermakova, Piotr Prokopovich, Anatoly Tozik, Sergei Maskevich, Vladimir Poluyan, Vladimir Tsalko, Georgy Kuznetsov, and Konstantin Sumar.

Explaining the personnel decisions, Alexander Lukashenko remarked that the decisions were made prior to the new year for the sake of giving the newly appointed civil servants some time to think about how they will start the new year in order to act without delays right after the Christmas celebration.

“The presidential election is an exam for all of us. Everyone should work in a way to stay above public reproach,” stressed the President.