Viktar Ivashkevich: Will Lukashenka use advance of EU?

Deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front party Viktar Ivashkevich thinks that lifting of visa bans on Belarusian officials is an advance of Europe.

“I should note that sanctions on those, who are suspected in disappearing of opposition leaders, were preserved. But Lukashenka was lifted the bans. It was a hint to him: if you get rid of Navumau, Sheiman, Paulichenka and Sivakou, you will be removed from the list of suspected in kidnapping and murders of politicians. Sanctions on Yarmoshyna were preserved for Lukashenka to be able to say: I’m not guilty, this is she who foozled, but I stand for democratic elections. Lukashenka is expected to response to this advance – not to adopt the new repressive law on media, access of “Narodnaya Volya” and “Nasha Niva” newspapers to sale in state-run kiosks, stopping of criminal cases on article “activity on behalf of unregistered organisations”, permission for activity of the European State University. If it happens, then tactics “you give me, I give you” will be effective, if this doesn’t happen, these advances will fail, and tactic of encouraging Lukashenka won’t work.

Lukashenka has made nothing for these sanctions to be lifted. He was paid in advance, he has the ball now. We must raise an acute question and make him react to this advance of the European Union,” Ivashkevich told in the interview to the Charter’97 press center.

The politician also noted that former candidate for presidency in Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich had facilitated lifting of bans on Lukashenka and his officials.

“It is obvious that Milinkevich facilitated this. He doesn’t hide this, saying that it is a necessary step for the course towards the liberalisation of the Belarusian authorities, towards “softening” of the regime,” Ivashkevich said.