'Foreign forces' try to subdue Belarus
Source: Agencies |
April 22, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
BELARUS' President Alexander Lukashenko yesterday accused foreign forces of trying to destabilize the ex-Soviet nation through political and economic pressure.
Lukashenko didn't name any names, but made it clear he was referring to the European Union and the United States, which have slapped Belarus with travel and economic sanctions after December's presidential elections.
"Belarus has come under massive pressure," Lukashenko, who has run the country for 17 years, told the parliament. "First came political threats of rejection of the presidential election results, lists of people barred from travel, economic sanctions, then they stirred up agitation and panic on the currency market and, finally there was 'dancing on the bones' after the subway incident. These are all links of one chain."
He has angrily rejected allegations of some bloggers that authorities may have staged the April 11 subway explosion that killed 13 and wounded 200 to use it as a pretext to toughen crackdown on dissents and to distract the Belarusians from the country's rapidly worsening economic situation.
Belarus' economy has taken a nosedive recently, with hard currency reserves running critically low and people lining up at currency exchange booths to buy dwindling amounts of foreign currency.
Earlier this week, authorities have allowed a free float of the national currency in trading between banks, effectively permitting its devaluation.
Lukashenko previously ordered prosecutors to interrogate opposition activists over the subway explosion, but he took a step back yesterday, saying authorities so far haven't found any political connections to the blast.
Authorities have arrested five suspects in connection with the subway blast.
Lukashenko didn't name any names, but made it clear he was referring to the European Union and the United States, which have slapped Belarus with travel and economic sanctions after December's presidential elections.
"Belarus has come under massive pressure," Lukashenko, who has run the country for 17 years, told the parliament. "First came political threats of rejection of the presidential election results, lists of people barred from travel, economic sanctions, then they stirred up agitation and panic on the currency market and, finally there was 'dancing on the bones' after the subway incident. These are all links of one chain."
He has angrily rejected allegations of some bloggers that authorities may have staged the April 11 subway explosion that killed 13 and wounded 200 to use it as a pretext to toughen crackdown on dissents and to distract the Belarusians from the country's rapidly worsening economic situation.
Belarus' economy has taken a nosedive recently, with hard currency reserves running critically low and people lining up at currency exchange booths to buy dwindling amounts of foreign currency.
Earlier this week, authorities have allowed a free float of the national currency in trading between banks, effectively permitting its devaluation.
Lukashenko previously ordered prosecutors to interrogate opposition activists over the subway explosion, but he took a step back yesterday, saying authorities so far haven't found any political connections to the blast.
Authorities have arrested five suspects in connection with the subway blast.
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