Lukashenko comments on leaks about ‘president's new residence'

During the government conference held on 21 September to discuss ways to improve the education system Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made a few comments in response to mass media leaks about “the president's new residence”, BelTA has learned.

At the end of the conference Aleksandr Lukashenko reminded that an election campaign will take place in Belarus soon. Belarusian teachers and professors make a large contribution to the organization of elections. This is why the head of state warned that the opposition may try to bring pressure to bear.

“Ideological and information pressure on us has already begun. Information has started circulating recently claiming that Lukashenko has built a new residence for himself, that the Belarusian People's Congress is likely to take place there. I thought: where was it built? Who built it? They couldn't have built it without my authorization. It turns out that a large hospital for government officials has been handed over to [Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Vladimir] Kukharev. A small one has been built outside the city. There was an old rehabilitation center there. It was repaired by the Belarus President Property Management Directorate. Rehabilitation is now available on the first floor. I gave instructions to gather under one roof all the charity foundations that we've closed at the top floor. They cured doggies, kitties, and so on,” the president said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “I have enough places for work. I work here [in the Palace of Independence] and outside the city. My offices look the same. I don't need anything else.”

He noted that such information leaks are only designed to besmirch the authorities.

“They start a pressure campaign and choose targets, people who should be pressured and who should be attacked. Tarnishing the authorities is the key. This is why keep it in mind. We have to inform people and explain things to them. I am well aware of it: an information attack against everyone, who is more or less a patriot, is being prepared. This is why we will have to resist it as well,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The president explained that not only fugitive opposition and the government's opponents, who hide in the woodwork, do it. There are other forces behind all of it but they don't act directly.

“I just want you to know that we will not be left alone. We have to be ideologically strong. We have to work without looking backwards and do specific deeds, do what people are concerned about,” he said.