Lukashenko: Opposition's campaign funded with foreign money

2004-09-18

Itar-Tass

"We know several centers that fund our opposition," Lukashenko told reporters in the course of his trip to the town of Volkovysk on Saturday.

The first center comprises oligarchs and big-time businesspeople, and some Russians, who give pennies, in the hope that the opposition will come to power and pay back. "It won't come to power and won't pay back," the president said.

Secondly, there are "ours" abroad; one can hardly call them entrepreneurs, they were kicked out of the country at one time, and now run some kind of business that brings them money; these wish to return home "riding high." They also back the opposition, especially those of them who live in Russia and the United States, Lukashenko said.

Americans are the third source of funding. "Our opposition is simply thrilled, pushing America and its president and Congress to pass a law on democracy in Belarus. It is being done to "strangle the country," to make people turn away from Lukashenko, the president said.

A number of European foundations are the fourth source, such as the Goethe Institute. "There are many such funds; Germany behaves very negatively in this sense," he said.

Lukashenko underlined that he was not opposed to domestic business people's taking part in politics.

However, they should not engage in politics in the capacity of business people, he said.

Once they enter politics they have to start living by political laws, and should not complain, he stated.

No matter how much money is injected into the country by the opponents of the so-called hated regime, they will not succeed. If the people say "yes", Lukashenko will win. "If I lose, I'll sincerely thank the people in two years," the Belarussian leader said.