I Can't Jump out of Vortex of Power and People's Hope, Lukashenko

«They say: «Here is Lukashenko’s fourth term …». Ok, you may not elect me. But I could not but nominate myself for one simple reason. Imagine that I did not nominate myself and people counted on me, and then someone would come to power, and everything would go upside down. Someone would incorporate the state in the wrong organization or would privatize enterprises wrongly, and then the companies would be closed and the country would collapse in general. What will the people say? «And why were you, Lukashenko, afraid? Why did you ran away. So I propose to the people the things I can still do», the Belarusian leader told the «Litovskij kurier».

At the same time, according to Alexander Lukashenko, he does not expect «anything special» at the elections. «If you noticed, I’m not running any propaganda. Lukashenko’s style of work has remained. Lukashenko’s schedule has not changed. Moreover, when people say me to hold a PR campaign, since that’s good, useful and important for the country, I reject any PR events, any attacks, any extraordinary measures. Absolutely there should be nothing new. Lukashenka is the incumbent president. He is responsible for the country. And we need to work quietly in the same vein we used to work,» the head of the Belarusian state said.

I can not «show off my significance», Lukashenko

«I’m in the situation, when I by no means may slide into some pretentious or protrusion of my significance. People will not understand this. They will say: «Father, why do you lower? We know you well». So I’m very cautious,» the President of Belarus said.

 

«As for the chances of other applicants. I know these people well. What chance can they have if they can not collect they signatures? And I was forced recently to address the people and ask them: «Sign for them». Let them participate in the presidential campaign. Because, they will say that Lukashenko has hampered the collection of signatures. I’m ready to collect the signatures for them. Do you understand? «There are their chances, and here are my chances. But I am not exaggerating my credit and role in this», Alexander Lukashenko said.

However, the Belarusian leader does not believe that the election results in Belarus are predetermined. «No need to fire up that the victory, they say, is unambiguous, that the incumbent president will win, etc. Election is not important, it’s important what will happen after the election. Which way we will go. How we will operate. How we are going to develop our country. The next five years will be resurfacing of the areas which we develop. They are now supported by the people,» the president said.

Lukashenko explained why he was called «Father»

Alexander Lukashenko also said that he was named «Father» for the first time in the mid-1990’s, after his election as the first president of Belarus. Then it was just irony. «Lukashenko was just 38-year-old. How could he be the Father?» the Belarusian leader said.

«It does not matter that I was a young man, I was the president, and the style of my work was the same as now. I didn’t have a confirmed diplomatic style of governance. I didn’t have experience. I did not pass the necessary stage, I was thrown from the bottom up, and I used to rush to everything I saw. And people noticed my fatherly, in Belarusian, «baćkoŭskaje» attitude to the people. And at the same time, I was too young for this. And people started to call me Father ironically (Baćka in Belarusian — Telegraf). Today I am an old man, but all have become accustomed. But it was not a PR action. For me, it was unexpected,» President of Belarus said.

I’m a very rich man, Lukashenko

Speaking about his income, the Belarusian leader said that he was very rich. «I am very rich man, because I am the first president, the first in the country that I, forgive my indiscretion, have made by hand with some other people. That’s what my wealth is. Money is not the wealth,» President Alexander Lukashenko said.

«Talking about material wealth, I get wages. No-one has given me bribes and gratifications and will not ever give. And remember, if the president gets the bribe, it will never be a secret», the head of state emphasized.

 

«Believe me, it’s a lie to say that I have millions and even billions. If they were, I would have not been able to hide them… I would have been given away. As well if my children had such sum of money,» Alexander Lukashenko said.