Belarus elections: Lukashenko's defiant press performance
In Belarus, another round of rigged elections took place on Sunday. On that day, Alexander Lukashenko held a press conference that lasted over four hours. A BBC correspondent posed a question the dictator did not anticipate. Lukashenko responded with disarming honesty.
Many pieces of information provided by Russian or Belarusian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information war waged by the Russian Federation.
Sunday was the main voting day organized by the Belarusian regime, during which Lukashenko, who has been in power for 31 years, aimed for a seventh term. The other official candidates (five in total) received - according to regime calculations - between 1% and 3% of the votes.
Belarusians, however, had only a semblance of choice. The official counter-candidates actually sympathize with the current regime, and the true leaders of the Belarusian opposition are either in prison or have been forced to emigrate.
Steve Rosenberg, the Belarusian correspondent for the BBC, raised this issue during the Sunday press conference that lasted four and a half hours.
- How can you call this a democratic election, when your main rivals are either in prison or in exile? - the journalist asked Lukashenko.
- Some are in prison, and some are in exile. But you are here! Everyone has the right to choose. That is democracy. Some chose prison, others chose exile - the dictator replied, contrary to the facts.
"Prison is for people". Lukashenko mocks BBC questions
The Briton did not give up. - You said recently 'We mustn't shut people's mouths' [silence people]. But your rivals haven't just been kept off the ballot. Some of them have been jailed. There are currently more than 1,200 political prisoners in Belarus. Isn't it time to open the prison cells and release them? - he asked.
- Prison is for people who have opened their mouths too wide and who have broken the law - Lukashenko replied. The dictator did not mention that Belarusian law stipulates that one can be imprisoned for any criticism of the regime or opposition activity.
Instead, he mocked by asking the journalist, "Don't you have prisons in Britain and America?"
Rosenberg responded by saying that such elections seem "strange" to him. - Steve, this is a whole new experience for you! - the dictator replied, drawing laughter and applause from other conference participants.
