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Belarus has no less democracy than West, Lukashenka says

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has reiterated that Belarus “has no less democracy” than the West.

“If they need to squash a demonstration, they don’t ask anybody but use water cannons and tear gas,” Alyaksandr Lukashenka told a group of Russian provincial reporters on Friday. “I even don’t see often such things in Russia. Frankly, I see them rarely there. Only few instances occurred. There has never been any tear gas or water cannons here in Belarus.”

Mr. Lukashenka claimed that Belarus enjoyed robust freedom of expression. “You just shouldn’t provoke the authorities,” he said.

As for media freedom, the Belarusian leader mentioned Russia, scoffing at the level of the freedom on the neighboring country’s main television channels.

“As for pro-opposition newspapers, the only thing that remains to be done for us is to start publishing them,” he said. Branding pro-opposition papers as war leaflets and packs of lies, he reiterated that some of them were even available from the newsstand at the Presidential Administration.

Mr. Lukashenka said that he had prohibited government officials from “putting some barriers” to his rivals in the ongoing presidential race that he described as a period of utmost democracy. “Collect signatures wherever you want. Say whatever you want,” he said. “Our thugs are more in the focus of Russian channels than your own issues. Say whatever you want. We won’t close or outlaw you. We shall talk following the election.” //BelaPAN