Former upper chamber head urges Lukashenko to hand over power to new leader :: Charter'97 :: News

If Aleksandr Lukashenko persists in his reluctance to hand over power to a new political leader, a democratic revolution in Belarus will be inevitable, Aleksandr Voitovich, former chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, said on April 15.

“A leader who remains in power for a long time cares more and more about his selfish interests and the interests of his associates, and less about his country’s interests,” Dr. Voitovich said while speaking at a news conference at the French embassy in Minsk.

To achieve selfish goals, the Belarusian authorities rig elections, persecute opponents and make illegal fortunes.

“The lack of an opportunity to change the situation through elections forces people to take to the streets and demand fair elections or the resignation of a dictator,” he said recalling recent events in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine.

Dr. Voitovich said that Mr. Lukashenko could quit with grace by democratizing the electoral law, organizing a fair election and handing over power to a new leader.

“Development trends in the world, Europe and the post-Soviet space in the late 20th and early 21st centuries suggest that a dictatorship cannot last long. The people will not tolerate it. Severe forms and violent methods can only speed up the fall of a dictatorship,” he said.