22 Dec 2017 14:31

No early elections to be held in Belarus - Lukashenko

MINSK. Dec 22 (Interfax) - There will be no early elections in Belarus, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said while meeting with businessmen on Friday.

"Some people say the president has created a big reserve fund [and that means that] early elections will probably be held. We will not have any early elections. There are no grounds, tendencies and other reasons for that," the state media quoted Lukashenko as saying.

The president did not specify precisely which elections, presidential or parliamentary, he had meant.

"I have reduced the expenditures that were planned in the budget by another 10%, sending this money to the presidential reserve fund, which will be in the budget, not in my pocket, and will be used for proposals made by the government and the parliament," Lukashenko said.

Presidential elections are expected to be held in Belarus in 2020.