Lukashenko refuses to call himself dictator, says he accepts bona fide liberalism
MINSK. Dec 21 (Interfax) - Dictatorship is impossible in Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko said, adding that he did not accept liberal values pushed by the West.
"They (the West) claim that we have no democracy and the last dictator in Europe is in power here. We have too many problems even without dictatorship, and, besides, dictatorship is totally impossible in Belarus," Lukashenko told students and professors of the Belarusian State University of Information Technology and Radio-Electronics in Minsk on Friday.
"The Americans are true dictators. They have everything: a powerful economy, an unlimited money supply and nuclear weapons. So, they dictate their will on the whole world," he said. "We have no dictatorship, it is objectively impossible. Why do they accuse us? Because we want to keep to ourselves and to hold a policy independent from the West and the 'big brother' (Russia)," Lukashenko said.
Belarusians do not need liberalism if it means full freedom, the president said. "We do not need liberalism of that kind, what we need is bona fide liberalism and true liberal values - the right to life, the right to labor and all the fundamental rights," Lukashenko said.
He pointed to the democracy claims the West makes to Belarus. "Democracy stands for people's rule. We have presidential and parliamentary elections - that's full democracy, you can come and vote," the president said.
"I will not make any claims to you if 55% of this audience supports me and 45% does not. But the majority has elected Lukashenko and you are obliged to tolerate him," the president said.
"We cannot do what the liberals want: take to street, grab a pitchfork, start a revolution and hunt down Lukashenko. You will poke Lukashenko with a pitchfork today and who will be poked tomorrow?" the president wondered.